The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is partnering with the Climate Change Commission and other government agencies and stakeholders to ensure the success of a government program designed to promote bamboo as an effective tool for climate change mitigation and poverty alleviation.

Speaking at the recent National Symposium and Exhibit on Bamboo held in Pasay City, DENR Secretary Gina Lopez said the government will make sure local communities will directly benefit from the livelihood component of the so-called "Bamboo Program" of the government.

Lopez said the government plans to invest heavily in the development of bamboo, which not only has proven high carbon sequestration capacity to support climate mitigation, but also could sustainably support local resource-based economies.

"We input money there to grow the bamboos but the result of that creates an economic stimulus and then you keep on growing the money until people's lives come up in time. It has to be impact- oriented and results-geared," Lopez explained.

"In the Bamboo Program we do adaptation because that's protection, and then mitigation because it absorbs carbon and then we do inclusive growth," she added.

Studies have shown that compared to some trees, bamboo has the capacity to sequester 400 percent more carbon per unit area.

The DENR earlier said it plans to establish one million hectares of bamboo plantation in critical watershed areas and other sites covered by the Enhanced National Greening Program within the next six years.

Lopez expressed high hopes on the success of the Bamboo Program which, she said, could help the country access the Green Climate Fund, a financial mechanism under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

"We need to make this work because if it works, then the country can be a recipient of a lot of money," Lopez pointed out.

Under the Paris Agreement, developed countries have pledged to raise US$1 billion a year by 2020 to help developing countries in their adaptation efforts.

The National Symposium and Exhibit on Bamboo has brought together 300 experts, policymakers and key stakeholders in the bamboo sector to discuss the role of bamboo in climate mitigation and sustainable development.

Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman, the CCC vice chair and executive director, described the event as a "transformative endeavor between the two government agencies to bring about change in our people's lives at the grassroots and to pave the way for greener, healthier and more sustainable future for our country."

"Today's event marks the new milestone for us climate advocates to collaborate efforts and strategies to translate the known benefits of bamboo to life-changing initiatives on the ground," De Guzman said.

Also present during the event were Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya of the Department of Trade and Industry and Ilocos Sur Rep. Deogracias Savellano, who is the principal author of a bill calling for the creation of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Program.

The bill also seeks to declare September as Bamboo Month following the annual celebration of World Bamboo Day on September 18.

The bamboo symposium provided a venue for participants to discuss bamboo as an alternative resource materials and for the government to encourage investors to look into bamboo by-products and their market potential, and present its policy on bamboo.

The exhibit, on the other hand, featured bamboo-made products like bicycle, flute, tea, and clothing materials. Exhibitors included the Philippine Bamboo Foundation, Bamboo Tisane, Sangay Architects, King Flute and Kawayan 7, a musical group which uses musical instruments made from bamboo. ###

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Published: 26 November 2016

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The Senate on Tuesday night approved the proposed P28.67-billion budget for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for next year.

The DENR's 2017 budget, which is 31 percent higher than the agency's P21.8 billion allocation for the current year, was successfully sponsored and defended by Senate finance committee chair Sen. Loren Legarda, with environment and natural resources panel chief Sen. Cynthia Villar as the lone interpellator.

The increase is attributed to the agency's poverty alleviation programs that put priority to massive reforestation and climate change initiatives upon which the Duterte administration's thrust to promote inclusive and sustained economic growth hinges.

Earlier, DENR Secretary Gina Lopez said that a bigger budget would help the department fulfill its commitment to social justice through the implementation of environmental programs, notably the National Greening Program (NGP).

"Our main challenge is to raise the quality of life in communities that are the primary stakeholders and pursue measures that will optimize their growth potentials," Lopez said.

According to Lopez, the budget increase "mirrors the Duterte administration's push for social justice where majority of the Filipino people truly benefit from the country's natural resources."

The environment chief has been eyeing the NGP, the government's flagship reforestation program, as a tool to improve the lives of people living in poverty.

NGP is a six-year massive forest rehabilitation program that aimed to cover 1.5 million hectares of degraded forestland with trees by the end of 2016. But it was extended until 2028 through an executive order issued in November 2015 in a bid to rehabilitate 7.1 million hectares more.

As of November 2016, the NGP has already created more than 3.29 million "green jobs," benefiting individuals hired as workers in producing almost 400 million seedlings.

For 2017, the DENR is asking Congress to allocate P9.4 billion for NGP's implementation. Lopez has vowed to make sure the NGP will continue to benefit the marginalized communities through ecotourism and agro-forestry development.

DENR programs such as the forest protection program was allocated P674 million; Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project, P966 million; Forestland Management Project, P1 billion; biodiversity conservation program, P763 million; coastal and marine rehabilitation project, P633 million; and the Manila Bay cleanup project, P80 million.

A total of P3.37 billion was earmarked for DENR's two line bureaus.

The Environmental Management Bureau will enjoy the bigger chunk of P2.2 billion to implement projects on solid waste management, clean air and clean water.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau is allocated P1.15 billion for its mining regulation services and geohazard assessment and mapping.

A total of P1.59 billion was earmarked for the DENR’s attached agencies.

The National Mapping Resource and Information Authority or NAMRIA has an allocation of P1.37 billion, P394 million of which will be used for the government's unified mapping project.

The Palawan Council for Sustainable Development is allocated with P92 million.

Some P129 million will go to the National Water Resource Board for the implementation of its two major projects: the Comprehensive Water Resources Assessment in Major River Basin and the Establishment of Monitoring Stations in Water Constrained Cities. ###

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Published: 24 November 2016

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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, in partnership with the Climate Change Commission and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda, is hosting a symposium and exhibit showcasing bamboo as a strategic tool to mitigate the effects of climate change and a driving force for sustainable economic development.

With the theme, "Bamboo for Resilience," the day-long National Symposium and Exhibit on Bamboo and Climate Change will be held on Monday, November 21, at the Hotel Sofitel in Pasay City.

Environment Secretary Gina Lopez will deliver a keynote address to discuss the DENR's plan to establish one million hectares of bamboo plantation in critical watershed areas and other sites covered by the Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP) within the next six years.

The ENGP aims to rehabilitate an estimated 7.1 million hectares of unproductive, denuded and degraded forestlands from 2016 to 2028.

Lopez is a member of the Philippine Bamboo Industry Development Council, which was created under Executive Order No. 879 signed in 2010 by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to promote the development of the country's bamboo sector.

The national symposium on bamboo will bring together some 200 experts, policymakers and key stakeholders in the bamboo sector to discuss the role of bamboo in climate mitigation and how to increase its promotion as a suitable replacement for timber and other materials in construction and other works.

Other speakers include Senator Legarda, Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman of CCC, Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, and Ilocos Sur Rep. Victorino Savellano.

Among the topics to be discussed are Bamboo Biology, Bamboo Utilization, Bamboo Enterprise, Bamboo Post-Harvest Technologies, and Policy and Advocacy Support for Bamboo.

Participants will have the opportunity to witness the various uses of bamboo and learn about the opportunities in the bamboo value chain, particularly in the establishment of community-based enterprises in rural areas.

Bamboo is among the fastest-growing plants, growing at up to one meter a day. It is considered a high value for mitigating climate change given its fast biomass production and renewability.

The resource plant has been proven to sequester more carbon at 400 percent per unit area and gives off 35 percent more oxygen than other trees. The bamboo dies if left unattended for more than 10 years.

However, if bamboo stems are harvested properly and at the right time, the root system survives and continues to store carbon as the harvested stems are being replaced.

Of the 1,000 species of bamboo on the planet, 49 of them grow abundantly in the Philippines. This gives the country the potential to become the second largest bamboo producer in the world, next only to China whose current market share is around 50 percent.

In 2009, the Philippines ranked sixth as the biggest exporter of bamboo products worldwide, with a total export value reaching US$30 million.

The international market value of commercial bamboo reached US$20 billion in 2015, owing to the growing demand for eco-friendly alternative to wood to conserve the world's remaining forests.

Bamboo can reach maturity in five years and can be harvested once every two years for about 100 to 120 years. It belongs to the Poaceae (Gramineae) family of grass, just like sugarcane and corn. #

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Published: 19 November 2016

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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has announced its new hotlines that the public can reach for their environmental concerns.

The hotlines incorporate the agency’s abbreviated name, DENR, for easier recall.

Those using landlines can dial #DENR or #3367, from anywhere within the Philippines.

Meanwhile, mobile phone users can lodge inquiries through 0917-868-DENR or 0917-885-DENR.

The public can also email the agency at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The hotlines and email provide direct access to the DENR Action Center, which was created as part of a quick-response mechanism to environmental issues and concerns raised by stakeholders.###

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Published: 19 November 2016

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Delivering the Philippine Statement at the Joint High-Level Segment of the climate change summit in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday, Environment Secretary Gina Lopez said that combating climate change and economic development must go hand in hand as nations strive to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

"Should the change in the planet's temperature escalate to more than 1.5 degrees, we stand to lose whatever economic gains we make. The planet simply cannot afford an indecisive ambiguity about what needs to be done. The situation is clear - anything more than 1.5 degrees will destroy possibilities for quality of life," Lopez said.

She added: "We do not need to give up economic growth - from clean energy, to sustainable transportation, to all facets of life. We need to have the courage to change the way we do things. We cannot and must not build an economy based on suffering."

Thus, Lopez said the Philippines will embark on a massive expansion of mangrove and bamboo plantations to strengthen the ecological and economic resilience of local communities in the face of climate change and its devastating impacts.

"We will go heavily into mangroves because, as our experience with typhoon Yolanda showed, the islands with mangroves suffered 80-percent less damage to lives and property," Lopez pointed out.

"The thrust will not only save our islands but will create economic zones because of the resulting increase in marine life. If handled well, our people can get out of poverty."

The DENR chief said the country will plant millions of bamboos, which not only perform "superbly" in sequestering carbon from the atmosphere but could also be used as material for buildings, low-cost housing, floor tiles and textiles, and for cleaning polluted waterways."

With the planned expansion of its mangrove and bamboo plantations, Lopez said the Philippines will prove that climate-change adaption and mitigation and inclusive economic growth do not necessarily have to be separate choices.

"These objectives can all be achieved given the right approach," Lopez pointed out.

Lopez was tasked by Malacañang to attend the Marrakech summit, officially billed as the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It served as the first meeting of governments since the adoption of the historic Paris Agreement on Climate Change in December last year.

In her speech, Lopez proposed that the Philippines which, according to her is in the "firing line" of climate change, "be one venue for scientists as we explore ways for humanity to move forward."

"I propose a dynamic direction of creating climate-change models that send the message, 'it can be done and we can do it!' The rules of the Paris Agreement can state what the performance indicators of these models should be," she added.

Lopez noted that the Philippines, a country of more than 7,100 islands, has the highest biodiversity endemicity per unit area in the world. This means that 70 percent of the biodiversity found in the Philippines can only found in the country, she said.

"We have more than 3000 species of marine life, including a snail the venom of which has been found by a Nobel laureate to be better than morphine in addressing pain without the side effects," Lopez said.

"Our sponges and shells are effective in addressing cancer, and we are barely scratching the surface of what there is. This is not just the wealth of the Philippines - it is the wealth of all of us together."

In closing, Lopez said she was in awe at the dynamism and non-negotiable commitment of the leaders of the climate change movement.

"If we all imbibe this consciousness deep in our hearts and manifest it in ground level reality - humanity faces a bright future if we continue to bloom this spirit of working together," Lopez said. "The Philippines is making a commitment to this exciting future." #

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Published: 18 November 2016

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