DENR turns over agroforestry support facilities to local government, POs

 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has turned over on Jan. 30-31, this year, over 70 million pesos worth of completed Agroforestry Support Facilities (ASF) to the local government of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino and People’s Organizations (POs).

 

The activity aims to strengthen the Department’s forest conservation activities and improve the socio-economic condition of local communities.

 

Funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through the Forestland Management Project (FMP), the three facilities turned over in Nueva Vizcaya include the concreting of 3.151-kilometer Access Road Sections 1 and 2, and construction of 13 linear meter Flat Slab Bridge in Barangay Parai; and the construction of 7.97 kilometers Molave, Keon and Guijo Pathway in Barangay Bitnong; both located in the municipality of Dupax del Norte.

 

In Quirino, two ASF were turned over to LGU Diffun and Don Mariano Perez Farmers Consumers Cooperative (DMPFCC), namely; concreting of Access Road phase 2 and construction of Irrigation Pipeline System.

 

DENR officials awarded the Certificate of Sub-Project Turnover and Acceptance to the recipients.

 

Parai Upland Greeners Association, Inc. (PUGAI) and Bitnong Guijo Greeners Association, Inc. (BGGAI) in Dupax del Norte; and Don Mariano Perez Farmers Consumers Cooperative (DMPFCC), together with the concerned Municipal and Barangay LGUs accepted the projects.

 

During the turnover ceremony, a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement was signed between and among the DENR, LGUs and POs to define responsibilities of the parties in sustaining the said infrastructure projects.

 

In her message, Director Gwendolyn Bambalan of DENR Region 2 thanked the JICA officials for the support they have extended particularly in implementing comprehensive site development for Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino provinces integrating the conservation and development interventions within the 24 sub-watershed areas with 147 POs involved in the project.

 

“These agroforestry support facilities support social and economic advancement in the local level while we engage with the local communities considering their nearness and capability to protect and conserve our remaining natural resources to address climate change crises,” the regional environment chief emphasized.

 

For his acceptance message, Mayor Timothy Joseph Cayton of Dupax del Norte said the project is a big help to his constituents.

 

“We are thankful because we really felt the support of the DENR in its campaign to improve its reforestation program, rest assured that we will take care of these projects,” local chief executive Cayton said as he committed additional funding support for development projects to be implemented in the municipality.

 

Meanwhile, JICA Senior Representative Soichiro Ide recognized the beneficiaries for extending their support to the 10-year DENR-JICA partnership project. “Maximize running this project with enthusiasm for sustainability as its benefits are expected if you are there to maintain the forests and ensure the availability of social services,” he said as he congratulated the local communities.

 

The provincial governors in said provinces and district representative of Nueva Vizcaya were equally represented during the turnover ceremony.

 

For her part, Mayor May Calaunan of Diffun thanked the DENR and JICA for bringing development projects in Diffun town. "Rest assured of our commitment to these projects," she said.

 

The FMP is a watershed management intervention that seeks to address solutions to climate change.

 

The event was also witnessed by ARD for Technical Services Marcos Dacanay, Central Project Management Officer Marlon Atienza, JICA Program Officer Christian Vic Perez, members of the Philippine National Police, other DENR and local government officials, and local communities.

 

After the turnover ceremony, the staff and personnel of the FMP Provincial Project Management Office in Nueva Vizcaya and Qurino held a Sustainability Action Planning Workshop to discuss among themselves strategies on how to maintain the FMP activities even after its completion in June, this year.#