The South Exit Monitoring Station in Calitlitan, Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya and members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) jointly intercepted a conveyance loaded with undocumented forest products on Feb. 5, this year at the Boarder Control Point, Barangay Tactac, Santa Fe, Nueva Vizcaya.

 

An Isuzu Forward Van-Wing Truck with plate number XPT116 loaded with undocumented Narra flitches or lumbers was apprehended with a volume of 2,975.333 bd.ft. and estimated value of more than 1 million pesos.

 

Ronald Demate y Guillermo, 47, truck driver and a resident of San Agustin, San Miguel, Bulacan was arrested and is now under the custody of Santa Fe Police Station for further investigation.

 

The apprehended truck and lumber are now under the care of the Cagayan Valley Product Monitoring Station (CAVAPROM) in Aritao which conducted hot pursuit operation chasing the conveyance up to Sta. Fe town.

 

The said conveyance was originated from the province of Apayao in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR).

 

It can be recalled that on Jan. 18, this year, police operatives in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya intercepted a 10-wheeler Isuzu Giga Dump Truck loaded with illegal forest products worth 2 million pesos, originated from Paracelis, Mountain Province in the Cordilleras.

 

With the series of apprehended hot lumbers starting in the last quarter of CY 2022, the forest protection officers assigned at the CAVAPROM led by Jay Marshal Jasmin, supervising ecosystems management specialist and checkpoint team leader, have committed to be more vigilant in manning the checkpoint in collaboration with the law enforcement agencies in the province.

 

Regional Executive Director (RED) Gwendolyn Bambalan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 mentioned that an initial meeting among the REDs of Regions 1, 2, 3, and CAR was chaired by the DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations who also directed the strengthening of inter-regional collaboration among the regions in intensifying surveillance operation and monitoring of forest protection and law enforcement initiatives.

 

Earlier, the DENR Assistant Secretary for Field Operations has instructed the regional environment chief to submit recommendations as to the proposed convergence meeting on forest protection to be led by the Office of the Assistant Secretary.

 

Meanwhile, the Regional Environmental Law Enforcement Council chaired by Director Bambalan will meet officials of the different law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to discuss strategic plans to curb illegal activities passing through the region.

 

The illegal transport of timber and other forest products is punishable under Section 77 of Presidential Decree No. 705 as amended by Executive Order No. 277, s. 1987.#

To take action against global wetlands degradation, personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 and other volunteers planted over 600 bamboo and native tree seedlings today in celebration of World Wetlands Day.

 

With the celebration’s theme “It’s Time to Restore Our Wetlands,” the tree-growing activity served as response to revive the degrading wetlands globally as reported by Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.

 

Among the tree growing sites include the 14 legislated wetland areas in the region, as well as protected areas or forest reserves, and National Greening Program sites.

 

“Planting trees helps revive our wetland areas including the various flora and fauna thriving in these waterbodies,” said Peñablanca Protected Landscape and Seascape Protected Area Superintendent Robert Rivera in a radio interview.

 

He cited that in the previous years, the water levels of some wetland areas have reduced due to siltation caused by soil erosions that are attributed to illegal forest activities such as kaingin.

 

“These wetlands are of great importance not only to biodiversity but also in mitigating the effects of climate change,” added Forester Rivera saying these wetland areas help in controlling global temperature.

 

In a separate radio interview, Senior Ecosystems Management Specialist Emerlyn Daliong of the provincial environment and natural resources office in Cagayan, emphasized the need to mainstream wetlands conservation to generate support from stakeholders and the public as a whole.

 

“We should speak for our wetlands and do something to conserve the remaining resources we have,” she added as she encouraged the public to practice simple conservation efforts such as proper solid waste management that is linked to making wetland areas free from pollution or contamination.

 

Aside from the tree growing, volunteers also conducted cleanup drives along wetlands and riverbanks. Around 30 sacks of plastic waste were collected.

 

To generate public support in preserving the wetlands, information, education, and communication campaigns were held in schools, and barangay and municipal local government units (LGUs).

 

Other field offices distributed over 300 native tree seedlings to commemorate the environmental celebration.

 

The celebration was joined by DENR officials and personnel, Department of Agriculture, Philippine National Police, LGUs, teachers and students, people’s organizations, and other partners.#

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 through PENRO Cagayan enlisted around 100 students for the protection and restoration of wetlands in Buguey, Cagayan.

 

In an environmental education held today, the students and teachers from Leron Elementary School and Minanga Elementary School committed to join in the Department's effort to protect the Buguey wetlands which is about 500 hectares or about 80 percent of the total land area of the municipality.

 

With the help of Pinas: The Basura Buster, the students pledged to practice solid waste management by proper segregation at source, proper disposal and recycling to keep away wastes from going to the different bodies of water.

 

The activity which kicked off this year's celebration of World Wetlands Day is part of the Buguey Wetlands Awareness Campaign or BWAn. It was launched in 2019 and funded by Ramsar Regional Center-East Asia.

 

Meanwhile, a tree growing activity was conducted around the Bangalao lake in Sta. Teresita, Cagayan. Spearheaded by CENRO Aparri, the activity was participated in by local government unit personnel, barangay officials and residents, and CENRO employees.#

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Nueva Vizcaya and the Raptorwatch Network Philippines (RNP) have sought for the conservation of the Grey-faced Buzzard through a future collaborative project research entitled “Assessment and Conservation of Roosting Areas of Grey-faced Buzzard in Nueva Vizcaya.”

 

In a recent meeting, Alex Tiongco and Tere Cervero, president and director of RNP, respectively, presented to forester-lawyer Junny Vic Andaya, CPL protected area superintendent (PASu), the organization’s mission of expanding their network for the conservation of Grey-faced Buzzard in the north, also called a migratory bird.

 

The said species was sighted within the CPL during one of the DENR’s conduct of Biodiversity Monitoring System through transect walk and field diary activities.

 

“It is important to note that CPL is located along the convergence of traditional routes of these raptors in the Sierra Madre and Cordillera mountain ranges. We would like to partner with you on the conservation of these raptors,” said Atty. Tiongco adding the importance of said bird species in natural pest control.

 

For the part of the CPL, Atty. Andaya thanked the effort of the RNP in its conservation campaign for the Grey-faced Buzzard.

“We will encourage the community to help us conserve this species and monitor other life forms thriving inside the PA,” the superintendent said.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Jayson Caranza, dean of the College of Forestry, Environment and Resource Management of Nueva Vizcaya State University (NVSU), also supported the said undertaking. He also committed for other conservation programs and projects in the province.

 

Aside from controlling pests, a Grey-faced Buzzard locally named 'Sawi' helps in maintaining ecological balance. They control population of species that harm humans and pets and are potential for ecotourism activity like bird watching.

 

The presence of migratory birds also indicates improved wetlands which contribute to water quality and land productivity.#

 

Image source: https://www.ryukyulife.com/

 

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.#