Wednesday, February 23, 2011
PENRO, IEPTF launch ISABELA project in four Districts by racquel m. caldez
Partnering with the Provincial Government of Isabela in the mission to preserve and demonstrating steadfastness, officials and employees of PENRO and CENROs in Isabela , Local Government Units, Philippine National Police (PNP), Military, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), Other Government Agencies (OGAs), Academe, Religious Groups, and media practitioners joined in the launching of Alay Tanim spearheaded by Governor Faustino “ Bojie” Dy III and Vice Governor Rodito Albano III.
The province-wide launch of the Natividad Dy Alay Tanim Para sa Kalikasan was held in the identified sites in Barangay Rang-ayan in Ilagan for District I, Barangay Libertad in San Mariano for District II, Barangay San Francisco in San Guillermo town for District III and Barangay Quirino in Cordon for District IV.
The participants planted at least one fruit bearing tree and fourteen forest tree seedlings within the identified area of 5 hectares per site. Areas being planted were awarded to qualified stakeholders who served as stewards in charge of proper care and maintenance to ensure higher survival rate.
CENRO San Isidro Mindo N. Aquino explained during the concluded launching in the 4th District of Isabela, the effects of Global Warming. He encouraged the participants to plant trees even within their backyards to mitigate Climate Change.
PENRO Isabela William C. Savella reiterated the messages imparted by the dignitaries present during a short program held at Sitio Estampa in Barangay Quirino.
“Everyone has role to do to help in the environmental protection to mitigate climate change, Savella further said.
Almost 5,000 tree seedlings were brought to planting sites for planting in four Districts of Isabela during the scheduled launching. The Alay Tanim is a joint project of the DENR and Provincial Government of Isabela.
The enthusiastic participation of every individual is a manifestation that they are in one in their commitment to plant more trees to save a planet on the verge of irreversible collapsed.
DENR Isabela Chief backs EO 23 ‘Logging Moratorium’ by racquel m. caldez
With these executive order, Savella strongly believed and agree with President Aquino’s declaration of the directive prohibiting for an indefinite period the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests (indigenous trees, not planted by man) and creating the anti-illegal logging task force in which the country’s chief executive signed on February 1 of this year.
“It is a good move for the Aquino Administration to protect the remaining forest cover”, Savella further said.
Environment workers said the directive emphasized that the country has been a witnessed to the changing climate conditions brought about by the La Nina phenomenon.
They divulged that the destructive effects are worsened due to the continuous denudation of forest zones attributed by the extreme illegal logging activities in some areas in the country.
DENR Regional Executive Director Benjamin Tumaliuan of Cagayan Valley urged the field offices to adhere with the instructions relative to Executive Order 23.
The DENR shall suspend the acceptance and processing of new and renewal/extension of Integrated Operations Plan and Annual Work Plan/Resource Use Plan Permits; suspend the cutting and harvesting operations of all existing tenure holders and permittees; suspend the acceptance and processing of new and renewal application for Wood Processing Plant Permits (sawmill, mini sawmill, veneer and plywood plants); suspend the issuance of transport documents for all logs cut and harvested in natural and residual forests prior to the issuance of EO 23 and transport thereof shall be allowed ONLY after proper inventory and upon CLEARANCE by Undersecretary for Field Operations Atty. Ernesto Adobo, Jr ; supervise the conduct of timber inventory of all logs cut and harvested and supervise immediate pull out of logging/cutting and hauling equipment from the areas programmed for logging operations in the natural and residual forests.
Usec Adobo directed the Regional Executive Directors to implement the aforementioned instructions pending review and evaluation of all existing Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA), Socialized Integrated Forest Management Agreement (SIFMA), Community-Based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA).
Transmutation at the Crossroads….by mindo n. aquino
“Here we are – at the crossroads. Hovering above is the crosswinds. After a long and arduous journey over rough and rugged roads, at times looking for glorious events and fascinating laurels to prop up the mortal ego, we’ve reached this far. But not far enough for varied reasons. The travel has for some time stop in the nick of time. Not because of fatigue factor nor compass distraction. Not because of conflicting policies nor unending vertigo of directives. Neither was it due to limited incentives or the lack of it…
“It is so because the burden on the heart and mind has become too heavy to bear, too pungent to swallow, too troublesome to handle. The Fearsome Threesome bit ya know. The dwindling zeal of belongingness, of participation, of camaraderie, sort of, had taken their toll. This, we now know, because of arrogant interventions and influences, torpedoed ideas, reverberating innuendoes, massacred opinions, insipid recitals of plans, and crumbling walls of beliefs and faith…
“The gospel of conservation, of sustainability and preservation of the natural land- scapes seem to land on deaf ears, dwell on insouciant attitude, sleep on over-bearing stance and evaporate from the cynical audience, from insensitive albeit demanding inhabitants.
“No matter what simple approach we want to employ just to stress a point, to manifest a consequence or to highlight a pattern, there is always a deliberate move to elude from the natural, to evade that which is realistic, to forego that which is basic and normal, and ethical.
“Which redound to unbearable reverberation of pain, bitterness, insolence, dismay, disbelief and yes, disgust.
“And so, after more than a decade, travel time has but to stop, for good, for posterity, for peace.
“And since here we are in this forlorn crossroads, we’ve got to look low in a bit of agony and emptiness; there is no more need to look back at the memorable (both positive or negative) events our feet have trodden upon. They just now serve as statistics on a once clear and spotless paper. Talk of history and you ‘re right. Talk of courage and you’re wrong. It is just plain destiny; nothing more, nothing less…”
This is one facet of nature’s preservation--for mankind. There are constraints along the way which may tend to degrade our faith but we should not lose hope as we perform our respective functions. For it is incumbent upon us to persevere--as employees, as citizens, as human beings, to hand-in-hand help in the sustainability of nature’s resources for the benefit of the whole and upcoming generation. Let old habits metamorphose into modern, realistic and attainable goals for Earth’s preservation and conservation.
Who cares about turning back? Beyond the crossroads I’m hoping against hope that there is no cul-de sac
DA, DAR, DENR to implement convergence initiative by racquel m. caldez
PENRO Isabela William C. Savella said that Convergence is a response to the fragmented delivery of agriculture and rural development services towards improved governance and maximize use of resources in support to one of the programs of the Aquino Administration.
Savella also encouraged stakeholders identified to support the implementation of the program as he said they are directly benefited.
Series of workshops was conducted in Isabela province with the Regional Technical Working Group to come up with Project Briefing Kit of the identified Local Convergence Agro-Enterprise Clusters (LCAEC) that will be launched on February 23 in Cauayan.
As stipulated in the joint Memorandum Circular on policy and implementation framework for the enhance national convergence initiative among DA, DAR and DENR, the convergence strategy shall focus interventions to the small , fisherfolks and marginalized upland dwellers especially those within the areas covered by the tenurial instruments of DENR and NCIP.
The administration of President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III remains committed to ensure countryside development as the strategy for poverty reduction.
IEPTF MEETING by racquel m. caldez
DENR, DAR, DAR Convergence launched by racquel m. caldez
DENR Usec for Policy and Planning Demtrio l. Ignacio distributes land title to individuals during the Local Convergence launching witnessed by PENRO Isabela William C. Savella (left) Regional Executive Technical Director for Forestry Wilfredo Malvar and District II Representative Ana Cristina S. Go.
CAUAYAN, Isabela – The Convergence project of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was launched here, February 23 aimed at delivering the right program to support the food self-sufficiency program of the country.
The Local Convergence Agro-Enterprise Clusters in Isabela is a joint project of the agriculture, agrarian reform and natural resources in support to one of the programs of the administration of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to ensure countryside development as one strategy for poverty reduction.
DENR Undersecretary (Usec) for Policy and Planning Demetrio L. Ignacio who represented Secretary Ramon Paje of the DENR said in his message during the launching that the three main institutional players in rural development have a shared resolution to adopt the convergence strategy for a more focused and unified interventions. He vouched support through forest and climate protection project to the cluster as he gave emphasis on the National Greening Program of the Department.
Under the Handog Titulo Progran, land titles were awarded to 11 individuals in the three municipalities of San Mariano, Naguilian and Benito Soliven. Likewise. seedlings/planting materials for the Coffee Industry Development Project in Isabela were turned over to the municipalities of Echague, San Guillermo, San Mariano, Cordon and Angadanan by DENR USec Ignacio and DA Secretary Proceso J. Alcala.
During the launching, Department of Agriarian Reform Secrtetary Virgilio delos Reyes distributed Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to 138 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) covering 429 hectares.
Governor Faustino G. Dy III expressed gratitude to the three department secretaries for choosing Isabela as one of the recipients of the convergence initiative that will surely benefit Isabelinos.
These contributions of the three rural development agencies are being formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding among DA Secretary Proceso Alcala, DAR Secretary delos Reyes and DENR Secretary Paje with Isabela Governor Dy III.
The convergence initiative is a multi-sectoral and integrated planning approach wherein the three rural development agencies will undertake joint planning, programming and budgeting.
The Coffee cluster in Isabela covers 23 barangays in five municipalities of Angadanan, Cordon, Echague, San Guillermo and San Mariano. This cluster will be concentrated on 2,100 farm households to develop 700 hectares.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
DENR, stakeholders to undertake greening program By racquel m. caldez
ILAGAN, Isabela - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 2 with partner stakeholders shall undertake the tree planting of 1.5 million seedlings in a total targeted area of 3,170 hectares starting this July to mitigate climate change, ensure water supply security, conserve biodiversity, establish agroforestry and alleviate poverty as part of the Greening Program of the Department dubbed as ‘Forests for People, Food Security, Poverty Alleviation and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.”
PENRO Isabela Forestry Specialist Arnold D. Frogoso explained during the Monday Convocation held at the DENR Office here, that forging of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) will be done continuously within the lifetime of the program specifically during the implementation phase of the social mobilization and project launching with volunteers/walk-in and interested adoptors.
“Planting activities will be undertaken regionwide within the identified areas for planting. The PENRO/CENROs with the stakeholders/adoptors shall conduct survey mapping of the specific sites identified during the pre-plating activities”, Frogoso further said.
Environment Head in Isabela William Savella likewise discussed the implementation scheme of the Greening Program.
He said that social mobilization strategies shall be adopted from the Regional, Provincial, Municipal and Community levels to ensure committed support participation of partners or adoptors in the different phases of the program.
The Region will coordinate with the 90 municipal mayors and 3 city mayors and other stakeholders in the implementation of the program.
In Isabela, PENRO and CENROs Cauayan, Palanan, Roxas, San Isidro, Cabagan and Naguilian will establish 990 hectares fruit orchard with a total seedling of 396,000 in watersheds, protected areas, urban and other open within access areas.

