DENR R2 confab highlights governance transformation

As government leaders, we are expected to bring about transformation in governance, promote inclusivity, empowerment, and enabling communities to be resilient to climate crisis.

 

Regional Executive Director (RED) Gwendolyn Bambalan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 stressed this during the 2nd regional management conference on May 23-25 held in Sta. Ana, Cagayan.

 

With the theme, “Transformational Change for Sustainable Environment and Natural Resources Management,” the conference focused on environmental policy programs review and discussion, projects implementation plan, financial and physical accomplishments status in the region, and the presentation of one control map in the different community environment and natural resources offices (CENROS).

 

Director Bambalan said as stewards of the country’s natural wealth, there is a need for the Deparment to have transformational leaders who ought to create changes on people’s lives. She encouraged and motivated the key officials to embrace positive ways and create meaningful changes not only for the organization but also on the lives and condition of the local communities they serve.

 

In support of transformational leadership, she directed all CENROs to present their respective one control map which serves as informative geospatial database in ENR implementation.

 

This contains several geographical information overlaying data maps on lands, forestry, protected area and biodiversity management, mining, and environmental programs of the DENR.

 

"Establishing the regional one control map will aid our policy decisions to ENR management. With this tool, we could regularly update the region's state of the environment by analyzing the actual data on the ground," said Director Bambalan.

 

As part of adapting to climate-risk lens, the one control map shows data on forest cover which contributed from the national greening program and other initiatives, potential area for land titling from alienable and disposable lands, geo-hazard, landslide and flood prone areas, existing tenurial instruments, production and protection forests, among others.

 

Meanwhile in his message, Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affair Jonas Leones encouraged the key officials to be proactive and vigilant in monitoring illegal forest activities. We have to guard our forest trees from illegal cutting rather than apprehending forest products during law enforcement operations," Usec. Leones said as he underlined enhancement of monitoring in hot spot areas to prevent occurrence of environmental crimes.

 

In the conference, RED Bambalan also cited development in the region such as the recent launch of the Online Land Administration Management System-Public Land Application in the PENR Offices of Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino and e-frontline land management services in the field offices, construction of the elevator at the regional office, and procurement of the new Motorboat Sierra Madre for environmental program monitoring.

 

"I urge everyone to improve our organizational competencies for us to address and meet these global challenges. If we will not transform then definitely we will be left behind," she added.

 

In celebration of the Ocean Month, the regional environment chief led the officials in growing mangroves species along the beach forest in Barangay San Vicente. They also conducted monitoring of protected area and coastal and marine resources implemented within the Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape, one of the 14 protected areas in the region.

 

Four key officials were also recognized in a retirement program dubbed "Araw ng Parangal at Pasasalamat," for their selfless dedication as government public servants, namely; Technical Services Division Chiefs Nelson Tumaliuan and Rogelio Quenery Jr., Management Services Division Chief Melody Manzo, and Supervising Ecosystems Management Specialist Wilfredo Dacuycuy.#