Barangay officials in Cagayan province were equipped today with effective and sustainable strategies in managing solid wastes and water quality in their respective communities during the capacity building for Liga ng mga Barangay at the Robinsons Place, Tuguegarao City.

The capacity building, conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 2 is in line with the enhancement of Regional Solid Waste Management Advocacy Campaign of the Department.

This advocacy dubbed Pinas Basura Buster, the image of DENR in its solid waste management program, was launched yesterday at the same venue.

“You have a big role to play because you have the authority to mobilize the residents in your barangays to responsibly manage the environment,” said Assistant Regional Executive Director for Technical Services Marcos Dacanay during the program.

He appealed the local officials to prioritize proper management of wastes in the communities.

The provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Act were expounded to the participants by resource speaker George Canapi, chief of the Environmental Management Bureau’s (EMB) ESWM Section.

He said RA 9003 strengthens RA 7160 or the local government code of the Philippines that devolved functions to local government units (LGUs) in the enforcement of laws on cleanliness and sanitation, and implementation of SWM programs.

“The role of LGUs in SWM implementation is significant since the collection, segregation and recycling of wastes; and the establishment of materials recovery facilities are their responsibility based on RA 9003,” added Canapi.

Canapi introduced innovations in managing wastes such as the use of bio-composting machine, bottle crusher, and glass pulverizer that are effective equipment in reducing and recycling wastes.

For water quality management, EMB Senior Environmental Management Specialist Jailaine Siriban educated the participants on the prevention or control of water pollution as provided in RA 9275 also known as the Philippine Clean Water Act.

She said barangay officials are responsible for the maintenance of water quality in the sea, rivers, groundwater, and other waterways in their respective areas.

Siriban also encouraged the concerned officials to participate in the transparent monitoring of establishments or industries pertinent to the discharge of water in waterways. This is to ensure environmental compliance and to prevent water pollution.

The barangay officials were encouraged to consult DENR-EMB if they need technical assistance in formulating ordinances relating to environmental management.#

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 11 August 2022

Hits: 169

I’d like to make this message quite brief but I hope that it will impart some of the key points of our stewardship role in terms of the environment and natural resources and the role which I think we would like to enjoin everyone to become a part of not just in the DENR family but also in the family of stakeholders that we actually also represent.

At the National Resilience Council, the definition we often use of resilience is the capacity not only to survive but to thrive in the face of shocks and uncertainties. And our environment today is typical of this type of regime. Shocks and uncertainties are in fact the norm.

In this light, what I’d like to propose to all of you and I hope that you will join me in, is a mission that represents the following: an ethical stewardship, to serve with excellence and virtue, and uphold shared environmental values, and scientific and technical excellence. We want a stewardship that is democratic where stakeholders can participate, where there is transparency in the Department’s plans and decisions. We want to work across the silos. This is not a unique problem in government. It happens also in academe; it happens in civil society; it happens even among our families. We work in silos disciplinally especially in organizations such as this. We need to harness our expertise and make sure that the capabilities of the different sectors, the different bureaus, actually are in line and support each other.

We want to invest in a scientific risk-based approach, we want some quantified impact metrics. And hopefully, with the Department’s projects and performance we can set the example for the economic, social and environmental gains that are part of the mandate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. We strive then to make sure that legislation is evidence informed, and policies and programs involve consultation with our stakeholders.

Lastly, we strive for efficiency but also technical excellence in the conduct of our work especially in government transactions, the efficient use of our resources, and the digitization hopefully and modernization of our information management systems. This will enhance the delivery of our service to our stakeholders and ensure the level of excellence in terms of performance, and the impacts that we would like to achieve.

Perhaps as a few closing points, I’d just like to share maybe four or five other items that we hope can be made part of our shared mission together.

The first one would be really to emphasize the DENR’s crucial role in the accounting of our natural resources of the country. And that accounting will need, in fact, to take place very, very soon as we make plans for the new administration’s agenda moving forward. This will in fact involve the use of science and technology, as well as the use of financial management and economics. And that means we will have to work across the different departments to achieve that foundation.

We would like to build resilient communities along with our other government agencies through risk-sensitive and balanced development of resources along what we call the antural rural-urban transect. These resources are part of our patrimony; we need to treasure them, and need to measure what we value.

Third point is to work with our cities. They are the engines of growth but they depend largely on the ecosystems that support them. And the role of DENR cannot be minimized in terms of trying to support the economy of our country at the same time the social and inclusive development of our nation.

For the last two points that I’d like to raise, and hopefully again with your kind cooperation and collaboration, we need to combat the climate emergency through practical climate change adaptation measures, the use of science to approach national scale as well as local scale impacts of climate change. We live in a multi-hazard environment not just from natural hazards but from industrial as well as what we call natural technological hazards. The compounding of these hazards has led to the development of systemic risks and threats to our entire economic and social system.

Finally, we need to strive to continuously protect our indigenous species as part of our natural heritage and at the same time harness these resources for the benefit of our country. On that note, I wish to enjoin all of you to please join us on this new course and mission. And I hope for your collaboration. Please, my office is open, please feel free to come in and share your thoughts and possibly concerns as well.

Maraming salamat po!

Transcribed on July 21, 2022 by Martina Constantino of DCD-SCIS

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 26 July 2022

Hits: 322

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 25 July 2022

Hits: 155

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 18 July 2022

Hits: 193

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENR) Office in Nueva Vizcaya forged today a Memorandum of Partnership Agreement (MOPA) with the 203rd Community Defense Center (CDC) of the Philippine Army (PA) for forest development at the DENR Ecological Park and Training Center in Aritao town.

PENR Officer Giovannie Magat and CDC director Bernard Ragus inked the MOPA to enrich the existing plantations and regreen denuded lands and cogonal areas within the eight municipalities covered by the PENR Sub-Office.

"The DENR is always ready to extend technical assistance in your endeavors and provide you quality planting materials to ensure high survival of your plantations," said Engr. Magat expressing his support to the greening endeavors of the PA.

He further appealed for the support of the uniformed personnel in forest development and protection.

For his part, Col. Ragus assured their commitment to the environment programs through 'bayanihan spirit'.

Former Provincial Board Member Flodemonte Gerdan, an army reservist, also expressed his hopes that illegal activities within the forest plantations will stop through the partnership.#

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 01 July 2022

Hits: 180