BAMBANG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 10, 20924)—To strengthen partnerships for river protection, conservation and management, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) forged ties with at least five local government units (LGUs) of Nueva Vizcaya province. It signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to strengthen its partnership with the municipal mayors of Bambang, Santa Fe, Aritao, Dupax del Sur and Dupax del Norte.
DENR Region 2 Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan said the MoA signed at the Ecological Park and Training Center in Barangay Darapidap in Aritao town aims to “effectively protect, conserve and manage the Santa Fe River in the province.” She added that the MoA is an avenue for building partnerships that will be sustained for the protection and restoration of the Santa Fe River.
Local chief executives Benjamin Cuaresma III of Bambang, Remelina Galam of Aritao, Timothy Joseph Cayton of Dupax del Norte, Neil Magaway of Dupax del Sur and Liwayway Caramat of Sante Fe, represented by Aquino Caramat, also signed the MoA. Cuaresma said they all expressed their support and commitment to revitalizing the Santa Fe River and ensuring its improvement and suitability for human subsistence.
Bambalan said that the MoA will tap “municipal mayors from these municipalities for a concerted action to protect the rivers and other riverbanks from degradation and pollution in the province.”
Under the MoA, the DENR will lead in conducting information education and communication activities, cleanup drives, water sample collection, and monitoring cleanliness and implementation of related environmental laws within the Santa Fe River. The LGUs will assist the DENR in improving the river’s water quality and extend collaborative efforts in conducting regular patrolling and monitoring of activities within the river.
PENR officer Giovannie Magat said that Nueva Vizcaya “can have an impact on activities happening upstream to the lowland areas downstream.” The province is located in the heart of Northern Luzon, about 268 kilometers north of Manila and 118 kilometers south of Tuguegarao City. Geographically located at the southernmost part of Region 2 and often referred to as the gateway to the vast Cagayan Valley region, it is bounded on the north by Ifugao, in the northeast by Isabela, east by Quirino, west by Benguet and south by Nueva Ecija.
Nueva Vizcaya is hailed as a “Watershed Haven and Agro-Forestry” due to its location within the watersheds of the Caraballo and Cordillera mountain ranges, and its distinction as the major producer of fruits and vegetables in the region. The Cagayan Valley region comprises the upstream province of Nueva Vizcaya and the downstream provinces of Quirino, Isabela and Cagayan, including the island province of Batanes. LCD