“The value of integrity must be built as you exercise the duties and responsibilities attached to your new position now. Always uphold the highest standard of excellence as public office is a public trust,” RED Bambalan said.

 

In his presentation of oath takers, Assistant Regional Director for Management Services and chairperson of the Human Resource Merit Promotion and Selection Board (HRMPSB) Ismael Manaligod emphasized humility to be on top of employees’ character as they journey to a more challenging jobs. “Keep on striving harder and always be humble,” said Atty. Manaligod.

 

Meanwhile, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Marcos Dacanay encouraged the appointees to be grateful and take care of their job because appointment in the government service is a rare opportunity wherein not all are given the chance to become public servant.

 

In their responses, the oath takers were emotional as they narrated the challenges they have been through during the deliberation process.

 

The Recruitment Selection and Placement (RSP) of the Department which is supervised by the HRMPSB is one of the human resource core systems aims to recruit, select and place individuals with requisite qualifications and competence to fill jobs in the organization.

 

All processes under the RSP are based on DENR Merit Selection and Promotion Plan and Civil Service Commission Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions.#

The NPOA-ML aims to provide a blueprint to enhance the current efforts of the country in resource and waste management and to bring additional lens to marine litter issues and the control of additional leakage of waste into bodies of water. It has an overarching goal of “Zero Waste to Philippine Waters by 2040”.

 

Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan of DENR Cagayan Valley expressed optimism that the region can reduce the volume of solid waste that will end up in sanitary landfills with the NPOA-ML’s goal of zero waste in the Philippines by 2040 through shared responsibility, accountability and participatory governance among stakeholders.

 

“I am confident that with the active participation of all sectors of the society particularly the local government officials and with the NPOA-ML that we adopted, we can control the rapidly increasing levels of marine litter in the country’s waterways and marine environment. I am appealing to everyone to help us advocate waste management solutions through a science-based and systematic approach to various sources generating pollution, both land-based and sea-based,” RED Bambalan emphasized.

 

The adoption of the NPOA-ML is embodied in DENR Memorandum Circular 2021-10.

 

EMB Regional Director Nelson Honrado acknowledged the local government officials for taking the lead in their barangay and community levels for the continued implementation of Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM). He also stressed that practicing proper waste segregation would redound to reducing marine litter.

 

The launch was highlighted with the recognition of 13 cities and municipalities for their outstanding performance in ESWM.

Sta. Fe in Nueva Vizcaya and Peñablanca in Cagayan were awarded outstanding in Material Recovery Facility operations.

Aritao and Dupax in Nueva Vizcaya, Jones in Isabela, and Gattaran in Cagayan were recognized for their outstanding practices in composting operation.

 

Camalaniugan and Allacapan in Cagayan were cited for their outstanding practices in sanitary landfill operations and in the closure and rehabilitation of dumpsite, respectively.

 

The cities of Santiago and Cauayan and municipalities of San Isidro in Isabela, Sta. Praxedes in Cagayan, and Kasibu in Nueva Vizcaya were also recognized for their outstanding practices in upcycling and crafts production.#

Director Bambalan discussed with Santa Fe Mayor Liwayway Caramat the status of the National Greening Program (NGP) implemented; and the intensification of protecting the Malico's pine forest which is proposed as future ecotourism hub in the municipality.

 

She also appealed for support on forest protection and law enforcement activities along the forest areas where the new Pangasinan-Nueva Vizcaya road is situated. “We earnestly request the assistance from local government officials to help us protect our natural resources, ” the regional environment chief plead.

 

Meanwhile, RED Bambalan talked with Bambang Mayor Benjamin Lloren Cuaresma III on the operations management of the town's sanitary land fill.

 

They also discussed the need for the LGU to secure environmental clearance for development undertaking initiated by the local government to establish a training facility of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority within the agro-ecotourism farm of the LGU.

 

As part of the commitment of Oceana Gold Philippines, Incorporated to reforestation program, they also agreed to identify an NGP site covering 80-100 hectares which will be developed from the tree replacement scheme of the DENR.

 

In 2020, the DENR and major mining companies in the region signed partnerships agreement for the tree replacement program as part of the mining companies' compliance with the terms and conditions of the tree cutting permit issued by the DENR.

 

The permittee is required to replace each tree cut with 100 seedlings of indigenous species.

 

RED Bambalan recommended for this area development initiative in support of the NGP to yield better impact rather than producing, buying and donating seedlings.

 

She also visited the 25-hectare NGP site in Villaflores, Sta. Fe, funded out of the tree replacement requirement of FCF Minerals. “You have to nurture the plantation so that this will become a mini forest later,” she said to the association members while discussing the importance of protecting the area.

 

The 15-hectare plantation in Nagcuartelan, Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya was also visited during the NGP site monitoring.#

Among the government services extended include PAG-IBIG Fund for transaction on member’s data verification, update and correction of records, multi-purpose loan application, merging and consolidation of records, issuance of Loyalty Card Plus, and application of PAG-IBIG MP2 membership; Department of Health for Covid-19 vaccination; PhilHealth for verification of records, and total number of contributions; Land Bank of the Philippines for loan application and updating of LBP I-Access; and Land Transportation Office for application and renewal of driver’s license.

 

In her message, Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan of DENR Cagayan Valley appreciated the participating agencies’ representatives for their time and efforts to offer and extend their frontline services.

 

“My heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and assistance to our employees,” RED Bambalan said.

 

Family members of DENR employees and office personnel within the regional government center were also encouraged to avail these services.

 

The DENR HR @ UR Service, launched last June 20 this year during the celebration of the Philippine Environment Month, aims to bring government frontline services closer for its employees on a particular scheduled dates. It is also part of the Agency’s intervention to take care of its human resource because they need not anymore go out from the office to make their government transactions.

 

The PAG-IBIG Fund has extended its provision of frontline services until Friday, September 16.#

A white Hi-Ace van with plate number BAA 1694, discovered abandoned inside a compound in Barangay Villaflores, Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya, was loaded with 55 pieces of undocumented lumber with a total volume of 983.39 board feet and estimated market value of P491,695 pesos.

 

Development Management Officer III Jay Marshal Jasmin, Team Leader of the south exit monitoring station disclosed that another Toyota Hi-Ace van with plate number S2 U119 was involved in a hot pursuit conducted by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Santa Fe town.

 

The second vehicle, loaded with 53 pieces of undocumented forest product with an aggregate volume of 804 board feet, was later apprehended in San Nicolas, Pangasinan by joint operatives from PNP San Nicolas and Santa Fe, CENRO Urdaneta in Pangasinan and Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office of Local Government Unit of San Nicolas. It has an estimated market price of P402,000 pesos which accordingly originated from the province of Apayao.

 

The apprehended lumber and conveyances were temporarily deposited at the monitoring checkpoint of CENRO Aritao for safekeeping pending further legal action.

 

The transport of forest products and conveyances without any lawful permit is a violation of Presidential Decree No. 705 known as the “Forestry Reform Code of the Philippines”.#

 

By PENRO Nueva Vizcaya