BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
TUGUEGARAO CITY (July 16)—More than 100 environmental partners during the culminating activity of the Philippine Environment Month in June 2022 were recognized for their partnership with the government in its environmental programs.
Among these partners, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) led by Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan said five entities were awarded in the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) programs.
Bambalan said the Divisoria High School in Santiago City was recognized for having its institution sustained as the most eco-friendly school in the Philippines since 2017.
Also, the Isabela Biomass Energy Corp. in Alicia town and the Cagayan Biomass Energy Corp. in Burgos town, both in Isabela province, were commended for converting wastes into energy projects and for being compliant with environmental laws, rules and regulations.
She said the local government unit (LGU) of Luna town, also in Isabela province, was recognized as being the first to install and operate a continuous real-time air ambient monitoring program of the EMB, while the City Government of Santiago in Isabela was also awarded for its support in environmental protection and conservation.
Bambalan said the EMB gave appreciation to the British FCF Minerals Corp. in Runruno village in Quezon town, and Australian Didipio Mine in Kasibu, both in Nueva Vizcaya province, for donating bamboo propagules during the simultaneous nationwide tree-planting activity conducted within the water quality management areas of the region.
Bambalan said the Didipio Mine was awarded for its assistance in the conduct of emergency preparedness and response, fire fighting, and first aid application training in June this year. Also awarded were some of the mine firm’s personnel.
The Mines and Geosciences Bureau led by Region 2 Director Mario Ancheta has also commended the Didipio Mine, FCF Minerals, and Dinapigue Mining Corp.
Ancheta said each of these mining companies was able to attain millions of safe man-hours without lost time accidents from Feb. 17, 2017 to May 2022.
He said these significant milestones of mining companies in the Philippines are recognized globally as a key indicator of a company’s safety performance in the industry.
Ancheta said the Didipio Mine, FCF Minerals, and the Dinapigue Mining Corp. have been also recognized for their continued implementation of programs in environmental protection, social development, and health and safety.
Meanwhile, Bambalan expressed thanks to FCF Minerals for the establishment of the three-hectare regional arboretum in Aritao town in Nueva Vizcaya as a result of their collaboration.
She explained that the partnership targets the replenishment of trees cut covered with permits.
“The replenishment includes comprehensive site development of denuded forest lands including an additional 190 hectares of agroforestry and tree plantations out from this initiative alone,” Bambalan said.
She said direct partners of the DENR were also recognized for their strong involvement and commitment to achieving strengthened environmental law enforcement and intensified forest protection and anti-illegal logging campaigns.
These were implementers of forest protection and law enforcement in the different provincial and community environment and natural resources offices, uniformed personnel, local government chief executives and officials, academe, and civil society organizations in the region, Bambalan explained.
“They are our strengths as we work with them hand in hand not only in enforcing forest protection and environmental laws but also in implementing development programs in forest and watershed, protected area and biodiversity, coastal and marine ecosystems, handog titulo (land title distribution), and Cagayan River restoration,” she said.
The awardees were recognized with plaques and certificates to partners and stakeholders witnessed by Region 2 officials of government agencies and provincial environment and natural resources officers in Cagayan, Isabela, Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya. TMT