The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the provincial government of Albay in Bicol region have teamed up to reduce and manage disaster risks in this calamity-prone province.

In simple ceremonies held recently at the DENR office in Quezon City, Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje and Regional Executive Director for Bicol Joselin Marcus Fragada signed a deed donating a confiscated six-wheeler Fuso truck loaded with lumber materials to the 3rd District of Albay. The donation was accepted by Albay Governor Jose Maria Clemente Salceda and Albay 3rd District Representative Fernando Gonzales.

The cargo, consisting of about 5,000 board feet of Lauan lumber of different dimensions, are to be used in the repair of damaged property caused by tropical storm Juaning, which hit the area in July of this year. The truck would also be used by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) for disaster relief, as well as evacuation of families located in identified hazardous areas.

In the same event, both parties also signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the assessment of landslide and flood hazard risks of 18 municipalities in Albay. The project, entitled “GIS-based Landslide and Vulnerability Assessment of the Province of Albay”, includes the densification of the province’s geohazard map on a scale of 1:10,000 by the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).

“The donation, though small in comparison to the magnitude of disasters that face the province, can immediately help in recovery efforts. Meanwhile, the assessment project will be piloted in Albay as a laboratory of disaster preparedness,” said Paje, who also hails from Albay.

The DENR-MGB has completed the geohazard mapping of all municipalities in the country on a 1:50,000 scale. The Albay project, however, which includes the development of flood and landslide hazard models for the province’s most vulnerable areas, will enable the province to plan for disaster risk reduction down to the barangay level.

The project also covers information dissemination on landslide and flood hazards and the installation of warning systems in highly vulnerable areas.

Salceda expressed gratitude for the donation and the MOA, which he said “respects the dignity of persons… and will reduce risks from climate change and geohazards, especially in our province which experiences a cocktail of disasters.”

The governor also said that the maps will be “used for response and reconstruction,” and that to avoid human casualties, “all evacuation sites will be cleared by the MGB.”

Details

Published: 27 August 2011

The Philippines is living up to its reputation as one of the world’s 17 mega-diverse countries in the world in terms of biodiversity as a group of American and Filipino biologists unearthed seven previously unknown mammal species in Luzon island.

All of the seven species are forest mice belonging to the genus Apomys and live only in a small part of Luzon. The discovery increased the number of native mammals – excluding bats – in the country’s largest island from 42 to 49, or up 17 per cent.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje was elated at the discovery, and noted its timeliness with the declaration of years 2011-2020 as “Decade on Biodiversity” by the United Nations and the national government. “The international community has recognized that our country has among the highest rates of discovery in the world. Filipinos should be aware of such discoveries, to show a collective pride and give a more positive meaning to the expression, ‘only in the Philippines,’” he said.

The formal descriptions of the seven species were published in the May 2011 issue of Fieldiana, the peer-reviewed journal of the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH) in Chicago. The nine co-authors of the article include biologists from the University of the Philippines, the Philippine National Museum, Conservation International (CI) -Philippines, Utah Museum of Natural History, and Florida State University.

FMNH’s Dr. Lawrence Heaney, project leader and the lead author of the Fieldiana, described the species as “wonderful little mice that live in forested regions high in the mountain… often abundant, [yet] they actively avoid humans and rarely cause any harm. They prefer to eat earthworms and seeds on the forest floor.”

Two of the species live in, or are endemic to, Mt. Tapulao in Zambales; two in Mt. Banahaw; another two in the Mingan Mountains of Aurora Province; and the remaining specie in the Sierra Madre mountain range of northeastern Luzon.

Theresa Mundita Lim, Director of the DENR’s Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), said that the discovery highlights the need to protect mountain forest habitats. “These animals are part of the rich biological heritage of the Philippines. The forests where they live in are crucial watershed areas for Manila and many other cities,” she said.

Danilo Balete, the project’s field team leader, expressed the team’s excitement with the discovery. “It is extraordinary that so many new species of mammals remain to be discovered in the Philippines. In the past 10 years, we’ve published formal descriptions of ten other species, while other biologists have described five more. And we are nowhere close to the end of our discoveries. The Philippines may have the greatest concentration of unique species of animals of any country in the world,” he said.

The discovery also prompted Dr. Scott Steppan, co-author and head of the laboratory at Florida State University where the DNA of the animals were studied, to consider the Philippines “even better” than the wildlife-rich Ecuadorian archipelago of the Galapagos Islands. “The Philippines is an ideal place to study the evolution of animal diversity… These animals have been evolving in the Philippine archipelago for millions of years,” he said.

Josefa Veluz, biologist of the Philippine National Museum and co-author of the study, pointed out that the new species from the Sierra Madre and Mt. Banahaw live within protected areas, but those from the Mingan Mountains and Mt. Tapulao do not. She cautioned the public on the impact on wildlife and watersheds of logging, agricultural expansion, and illegal mining activities.

This was seconded by Romeo Trono, Country Executive Director for CI-Philippines. “Protecting land and marine resources is key to maintaining healthy ecosystems which deliver services such as food, clean water, health, tourism and cultural benefits and a stable climate which are vital to the very survival of every Filipino. Although small in size, these little animals are part of our biodiversity which forms the basic foundation of healthy ecosystems.

The Philippines, although cited by various conservation organizations as among those with remarkable levels of species endemism, is also ranked as one of the world’s most threatened hotspots, where increased human activities contribute largely to habitat loss and pose as severe threats to the existence of various species of flora and fauna.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje rallied last week his field officials to ensure the success of the National Greening Program, saying the program has full support of the President.

“There is no reason to fail considering that President Aquino has amply given all the support this program (NGP) needs to succeed,” Paje told the regional executive directors (REDs), regional technical directors, and the provincial and community environment and natural resources officers (PENROs, CENROs) attending the 2-day National Convention of Field Officers held May 31-June 1, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City.

Paje also challenged the field officials “to give their best shot” as their performance in implementing the NGP will be “highly taken into consideration’ in the evaluation of officials for promotions.

“Those who will be performing will be rewarded. Wala pong biro yan,” Paje said, stressing that the field officers will be evaluated fairly based on a purely-merit system “without regard for personal ties or past associations” he has made through over 20 years at the DENR where he started his career as a casual forester.

Paje said the NGP-driven performance-based incentive scheme will first zero in on the PENRO and CENRO positions, with an instruction to DENR Assistant Secretary for Management and Finance Corazon Davis to reserve the vacant PENRO and CENRO posts as rewards for NGP’s top performers especially those that are on an acting capacity.

“If you are a CENRO, you will automatically become a PENRO. Those who are not yet full-pledged CENRO (with temporary appointment), we will make you full-pledged CENROs. Performance lamang, wala nang iba,” Paje stressed.

Of the 168 CENRO plantilla positions, 47 have yet to be filled; while 25 remain vacant in the 73 PENRO plantilla posts.

The incentive scheme forms part of Paje’s overall program to strengthen DENR’s performance-based promotion system to beef up the national leadership’s efforts in professionalizing the Philippine bureaucracy.

But Paje was quick to clarify that the quality of their performance will be determined by the survival of the seedling declared in their performance and not merely on the number of seedling planted.

“Remember, the NGP is a national priority program of President Aquino, and this is not for show but for grow. Gone are the days when tree planting activities were just to set world records or just for photo opportunities,” Paje noted.

At the same time, Paje asked “doubting Thomases” to be forthcoming this early with their hesitation to go all out to meet their targets to allow for management to act appropriately in their particular case.

“We will make sure that everybody performs. Kung sino sa inyo ang tingin ay hindi kayang ipatupad ang programang ito, sabihin na ninyo ngayon,” Paje said.

The performance-based incentive will be based on the field officials’ scorecard in the yearly targets given them and will be validated with the use of state-of-the art technology such as satellite mapping and internet-based technology through NGP’s website at the www.ngp.denr.gov.ph

Details

Published: 15 June 2011

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the Climate Change Commission and the Partnership for Clean Air (PCA) is set to host on June 14-15, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall, a multi-stakeholder forum on climate change and cleaner transport to mark the 12th year of implementation of the Philippine Clean Air Act.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje reiterated the importance of having to combat air pollution, particularly from mobile sources, to drive forward the implementation of Clean Air Act in the country.

“The law has been in place for twelve years now, and much as we have been able to achieve a lot, especially in terms of the reduction of total suspended particulates (TSP) level, or the introduction of alternative fuels in the country, we still have a lot to do. Mobile source, in fact, remains the top most source of air pollution in the country,” he said.

The forum is the third of the series of Clean Air 10 Forum that are being held annually since 2009 where government agencies, local government, business and the civil society merge to exchange insights to move forward, Clean Air Act implementation.

As one of the DENR's active partners in implementing the Clean Air Act, the Partnership for Clean Air (PCA) stressed the need to strengthen partnerships and coordinated action toward cleaner air.

"Despite significant advances since the implementation of RA 8749, the challenges we face remain formidable and will test our resolve. We need to forge more alliances not just between classes and among sectors but reaching across generations, because the struggle for clean air should represent in the end the confluence of diverse efforts that many Filipinos today are involved in,” says Vicky Segovia, PCA Executive Director.

The two-day forum, dubbed “Clean Air 10+2”, will highlight the need to strengthen partnerships toward clean air and climate change action, with focus on energy and transport. To be highlighted are the initiatives of the local government units, the industries, and the private sector on clean air and climate change, particularly on the use of LPG as an alternative fuel for vehicles, electric, hybrid, and non-motorized vehicles, and clean fleet management.

Forum participants will also be able to hear the government’s response on the mainstreaming of environmentally sustainable transport strategy including the volume traffic reduction scheme, the anti-smoke belching campaign, and the Mega-Manila Transport Study.

The Clean Air 10+2 Forum is organized by the DENR, the DOTC, the Climate Change Commission and PCA, with the support of Petroleum Institute of the Philippines, Ayala Foundation, and Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc. with other civil society members.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje rallied last week his field officials to ensure the success of the National Greening Program, saying the program has full support of the President.

“There is no reason to fail considering that President Aquino has amply given all the support this program (NGP) needs to succeed,” Paje told the regional executive directors (REDs), regional technical directors, and the provincial and community environment and natural resources officers (PENROs, CENROs) attending the 2-day National Convention of Field Officers held May 31-June 1, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City.

Paje also challenged the field officials “to give their best shot” as their performance in implementing the NGP will be “highly taken into consideration’ in the evaluation of officials for promotions.

“Those who will be performing will be rewarded. Wala pong biro yan,” Paje said, stressing that the field officers will be evaluated fairly based on a purely-merit system “without regard for personal ties or past associations” he has made through over 20 years at the DENR where he started his career as a casual forester.

Paje said the NGP-driven performance-based incentive scheme will first zero in on the PENRO and CENRO positions, with an instruction to DENR Assistant Secretary for Management and Finance Corazon Davis to reserve the vacant PENRO and CENRO posts as rewards for NGP’s top performers especially those that are on an acting capacity.

“If you are a CENRO, you will automatically become a PENRO. Those who are not yet full-pledged CENRO (with temporary appointment), we will make you full-pledged CENROs. Performance lamang, wala nang iba,” Paje stressed.

Of the 168 CENRO plantilla positions, 47 have yet to be filled; while 25 remain vacant in the 73 PENRO plantilla posts.

The incentive scheme forms part of Paje’s overall program to strengthen DENR’s performance-based promotion system to beef up the national leadership’s efforts in professionalizing the Philippine bureaucracy.

But Paje was quick to clarify that the quality of their performance will be determined by the survival of the seedling declared in their performance and not merely on the number of seedling planted.

“Remember, the NGP is a national priority program of President Aquino, and this is not for show but for grow. Gone are the days when tree planting activities were just to set world records or just for photo opportunities,” Paje noted.

At the same time, Paje asked “doubting Thomases” to be forthcoming this early with their hesitation to go all out to meet their targets to allow for management to act appropriately in their particular case.

“We will make sure that everybody performs. Kung sino sa inyo ang tingin ay hindi kayang ipatupad ang programang ito, sabihin na ninyo ngayon,” Paje said.

The performance-based incentive will be based on the field officials’ scorecard in the yearly targets given them and will be validated with the use of state-of-the art technology such as satellite mapping and internet-based technology through NGP’s website at the www.ngp.denr.gov.ph

Details

Published: 13 June 2011

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), with the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), the Climate Change Commission and the Partnership for Clean Air (PCA) is set to host on June 14-15, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall, a multi-stakeholder forum on climate change and cleaner transport to mark the 12th year of implementation of the Philippine Clean Air Act.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje reiterated the importance of having to combat air pollution, particularly from mobile sources, to drive forward the implementation of Clean Air Act in the country.

“The law has been in place for twelve years now, and much as we have been able to achieve a lot, especially in terms of the reduction of total suspended particulates (TSP) level, or the introduction of alternative fuels in the country, we still have a lot to do. Mobile source, in fact, remains the top most source of air pollution in the country,” he said.

The forum is the third of the series of Clean Air 10 Forum that are being held annually since 2009 where government agencies, local government, business and the civil society merge to exchange insights to move forward, Clean Air Act implementation.

As one of the DENR's active partners in implementing the Clean Air Act, the Partnership for Clean Air (PCA) stressed the need to strengthen partnerships and coordinated action toward cleaner air.

"Despite significant advances since the implementation of RA 8749, the challenges we face remain formidable and will test our resolve. We need to forge more alliances not just between classes and among sectors but reaching across generations, because the struggle for clean air should represent in the end the confluence of diverse efforts that many Filipinos today are involved in,” says Vicky Segovia, PCA Executive Director.

The two-day forum, dubbed “Clean Air 10+2”, will highlight the need to strengthen partnerships toward clean air and climate change action, with focus on energy and transport. To be highlighted are the initiatives of the local government units, the industries, and the private sector on clean air and climate change, particularly on the use of LPG as an alternative fuel for vehicles, electric, hybrid, and non-motorized vehicles, and clean fleet management.

Forum participants will also be able to hear the government’s response on the mainstreaming of environmentally sustainable transport strategy including the volume traffic reduction scheme, the anti-smoke belching campaign, and the Mega-Manila Transport Study.

The Clean Air 10+2 Forum is organized by the DENR, the DOTC, the Climate Change Commission and PCA, with the support of Petroleum Institute of the Philippines, Ayala Foundation, and Pacific Paint (Boysen) Philippines, Inc. with other civil society members.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje rallied last week his field officials to ensure the success of the National Greening Program, saying the program has full support of the President.

“There is no reason to fail considering that President Aquino has amply given all the support this program (NGP) needs to succeed,” Paje told the regional executive directors (REDs), regional technical directors, and the provincial and community environment and natural resources officers (PENROs, CENROs) attending the 2-day National Convention of Field Officers held May 31-June 1, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City.

Paje also challenged the field officials “to give their best shot” as their performance in implementing the NGP will be “highly taken into consideration’ in the evaluation of officials for promotions.

“Those who will be performing will be rewarded. Wala pong biro yan,” Paje said, stressing that the field officers will be evaluated fairly based on a purely-merit system “without regard for personal ties or past associations” he has made through over 20 years at the DENR where he started his career as a casual forester.

Paje said the NGP-driven performance-based incentive scheme will first zero in on the PENRO and CENRO positions, with an instruction to DENR Assistant Secretary for Management and Finance Corazon Davis to reserve the vacant PENRO and CENRO posts as rewards for NGP’s top performers especially those that are on an acting capacity.

“If you are a CENRO, you will automatically become a PENRO. Those who are not yet full-pledged CENRO (with temporary appointment), we will make you full-pledged CENROs. Performance lamang, wala nang iba,” Paje stressed.

Of the 168 CENRO plantilla positions, 47 have yet to be filled; while 25 remain vacant in the 73 PENRO plantilla posts.

The incentive scheme forms part of Paje’s overall program to strengthen DENR’s performance-based promotion system to beef up the national leadership’s efforts in professionalizing the Philippine bureaucracy.

But Paje was quick to clarify that the quality of their performance will be determined by the survival of the seedling declared in their performance and not merely on the number of seedling planted.

“Remember, the NGP is a national priority program of President Aquino, and this is not for show but for grow. Gone are the days when tree planting activities were just to set world records or just for photo opportunities,” Paje noted.

At the same time, Paje asked “doubting Thomases” to be forthcoming this early with their hesitation to go all out to meet their targets to allow for management to act appropriately in their particular case.

“We will make sure that everybody performs. Kung sino sa inyo ang tingin ay hindi kayang ipatupad ang programang ito, sabihin na ninyo ngayon,” Paje said.

The performance-based incentive will be based on the field officials’ scorecard in the yearly targets given them and will be validated with the use of state-of-the art technology such as satellite mapping and internet-based technology through NGP’s website at the www.ngp.denr.gov.ph

Details

Published: 13 June 2011

Next to lessening smoke emissions from motor vehicles, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is now proposing a “no exposed soil” policy in Metro Manila’s streets as a way to reduce the level of air pollution in the metropolis.

DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje bared this proposal in a letter to Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis Tolentino in an effort to lessen dusts coming from streets and open and bare lands that pollute the air.

Paje said that a “no exposed soil” policy, similar to those implemented in other countries, would involve cleaning up the roads through regular sweeping. It would also require additional environmental management practices particularly at construction sites like prohibiting the use of bagged cement and on-site mixing of concrete and mortar, and the use of enclosures and covers to minimize dust particles from flying.

Greening or planting campaigns, including the paving of roads and other access points, would also reduce bare land where exposed soil can also be found, the secretary added. “Kapag walang nakatanim na kahit damo man lang, nililipad sa hangin ang alikabok at nakakadagdag ito sa suspended particulates na nalalanghap natin,” he explained. Suspended particulates refer to dust particles in the air, and is the basis for determining the level of air pollution.

The environment chief said that a “no exposed soil” policy would greatly reduce air pollution and take air quality improvements to the next level. “The sooner we act, the sooner we can enjoy the benefits of clear air not only for our health but for the environment in general,” he said.

Clean air has been a priority agenda of the government from the start of the Aquino administration, and the DENR has aimed to reduce the level of air pollution in Metro Manila by 30% this year, compared to 2009 levels. It has since then partnered vigorously with the private sector and other government agencies to implement various air pollution control programs, such as the Ligtas-Hangin campaign to rid EDSA of smoke belchers. The agency has also set stricter emission limits for all vehicles, and called for a tighter watch on erring private emission testing centers.

Such efforts have contributed to a substantial decrease in levels of total suspended particulates (TSP) since December in 2010 until it spiked in March of this year, then declined again in April. Paje attributed the spike “not to smog, but due to the dryness of the summer season which aggravates the level of dust in the air.”

Data from the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau, which monitors the country’s air quality, showed that from 133 micrograms per normal cubic meter (µg/ncM) in December 2010, the TSP levels decreased to 131µg/ncM in January 2011, It further went down to 120µg/ncM in February, before increasing by 22% to 140µg/ncM in March. However, the level once more dipped by 17% to 121µg/ncM in April.

The World Bank estimates an annual productivity loss worth P7.6 billion due to the respiratory and cardiovascular diseased caused by the exposure of about 18 million Filipinos to air pollution.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje rallied last week his field officials to ensure the success of the National Greening Program, saying the program has full support of the President.

“There is no reason to fail considering that President Aquino has amply given all the support this program (NGP) needs to succeed,” Paje told the regional executive directors (REDs), regional technical directors, and the provincial and community environment and natural resources officers (PENROs, CENROs) attending the 2-day National Convention of Field Officers held May 31-June 1, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City.

Paje also challenged the field officials “to give their best shot” as their performance in implementing the NGP will be “highly taken into consideration’ in the evaluation of officials for promotions.

“Those who will be performing will be rewarded. Wala pong biro yan,” Paje said, stressing that the field officers will be evaluated fairly based on a purely-merit system “without regard for personal ties or past associations” he has made through over 20 years at the DENR where he started his career as a casual forester.

Paje said the NGP-driven performance-based incentive scheme will first zero in on the PENRO and CENRO positions, with an instruction to DENR Assistant Secretary for Management and Finance Corazon Davis to reserve the vacant PENRO and CENRO posts as rewards for NGP’s top performers especially those that are on an acting capacity.

“If you are a CENRO, you will automatically become a PENRO. Those who are not yet full-pledged CENRO (with temporary appointment), we will make you full-pledged CENROs. Performance lamang, wala nang iba,” Paje stressed.

Of the 168 CENRO plantilla positions, 47 have yet to be filled; while 25 remain vacant in the 73 PENRO plantilla posts.

The incentive scheme forms part of Paje’s overall program to strengthen DENR’s performance-based promotion system to beef up the national leadership’s efforts in professionalizing the Philippine bureaucracy.

But Paje was quick to clarify that the quality of their performance will be determined by the survival of the seedling declared in their performance and not merely on the number of seedling planted.

“Remember, the NGP is a national priority program of President Aquino, and this is not for show but for grow. Gone are the days when tree planting activities were just to set world records or just for photo opportunities,” Paje noted.

At the same time, Paje asked “doubting Thomases” to be forthcoming this early with their hesitation to go all out to meet their targets to allow for management to act appropriately in their particular case.

“We will make sure that everybody performs. Kung sino sa inyo ang tingin ay hindi kayang ipatupad ang programang ito, sabihin na ninyo ngayon,” Paje said.

The performance-based incentive will be based on the field officials’ scorecard in the yearly targets given them and will be validated with the use of state-of-the art technology such as satellite mapping and internet-based technology through NGP’s website at the www.ngp.denr.gov.ph

Details

Published: 09 June 2011