by: Village Connect

The ceremonial sandbar dredging and bamboo planting along Bicol River on March 23 signaled the massive rehabilitation of the country’s eighth largest waterway, under the Bicol River Restoration Project led by the Task Force Build Back Better (TF BBB).

The TF BBB, chaired by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, was tasked by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to conduct post-disaster rehabilitation and recovery programs in areas struck by four successive destructive cyclones in 2020.

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January 29, 2021

QUEZON CITY, Jan. 29 -- The removal of sandbars to clear the constricted section of Cagayan River, known as the Magapit Narrows, and the massive planting of bamboo along its bank will begin on February 2, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary and Task Force Build Back Better chair Roy A. Cimatu announced on Wednesday.

"This is the culmination of weeks of meticulous planning and detailed coordination to ensure that each of the dredging equipment is safely transported to the sandbar sites and that bamboos are grown at critical portions of the riverbank needing immediate measures to address stream bank erosion and instability.

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Climate change concerns in the Philippines continue to have more focused attention as bilateral cooperation and agreements with the UK are forged.

On 27 November 2020, the Philippines, represented by the DENR Secretary, Roy Cimatu,  as Chairperson of the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM DRR), signed a “Partnership Statement” with Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Daniel Pruce, during the first Climate Change and Environment Dialogue (CCE-D). Ambassador Pruce co-chaired the virtual Dialogue with Ken O’ Flaherty, UK COP26 Regional Ambassador, and Undersecretaries Jonas Leones and Analiza Teh of the DENR.

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By Catherine Teves | Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will accept until Nov. 15 this year photo entries for its "Mga Kwentong KLIMA-likasan: A Photoblog Competition" for 15 to 21-year-old Filipinos nationwide.

The entries must show individual's and communities' behavior changes that help create a healthy environment and boost the fight against climate change, noted staffer Kathleen Cornejo from DENR's Climate Change Service which is running the competition.

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By Louise Maureen Simeon | The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The government is seeking a higher budget of P152 billion next year to roll out convergence programs on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

The Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), said the government has allotted P152.35 billion for the government’s Risk Resiliency Program under the 2021 budget.

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MANILA – The government is seeking a PHP152.35 billion budget for the implementation of its convergence program on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction next year.

This was according to the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

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Ulat ng Bandera at Radyo Inquirer

Maglalaan ang pamahalaan ng P152.35 bilyong budget para sa implementasyon ng convergence program sa climate change adaptation at disaster risk reduction sa susunod na taon.

Ito ay ayon sa Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR) na pinamumunuan ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

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by RIO ARAJA | Manila Standard

The government wants a P152.35-billion budget for the implementation of its convergence program on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in 2021, according to Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction, chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Cabinet cluster said the Duterte administration has allotted P152.35 billion for the government’s risk resiliency program under the 2021 National Expenditure Program it submitted to the House of Representatives.

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By Jom Garner | Daily Tribune

September 21, 2020

The government is seeking a P152.35 billion budget for the implementation of its convergence program on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction next year.

The Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced this yesterday, said the Duterte administration has allotted such amount for the government’s Risk Resiliency Program (RRP) under the 2021 National Expenditure Program it submitted to Congress.

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Published September 20, 2020, 6:49 PM

by Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz | Manila Bulletin

The government is seeking a 30-percent hike in its budget to implement the convergence program on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in 2021, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR), chaired by the DENR, said the Duterte administration submitted its proposal to Congress for the allotment of P152.35 billion for the Risk Resiliency Program (RRP).

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18 July 2019 | PNA

LANANG, DAVAO CITY – The third and final installment of the forum, leading to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA), marks the stark changes made by the administration, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar said.

Andanar moderated the Mindanao leg of Tatak ng Pagbabago 2019: Pre-SONA Forum held at the SMX Convention Center on July 17 here.

With the theme: Patuloy na Katatagan, the forum highlights the accomplishments on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation, and Disaster Risk Reduction Cluster (CCAMDRRC), as well as the Security, Justice, and Peace Cluster (SJPC).

Andanar said the government has introduced and welcomed change—leading to an increase in the number of lives improved since Duterte came into office in 2016.

“Patuloy ang pagbabago, patuloy ang pangako na magandang buhay para sa bawat Pilipino (change continues, the promise of a good life for every Filipino continues),” Andanar said.

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BY LUDWIG O. FEDERIGAN | The Manila Times

JULY 20, 2019

First of two parts
Davao City, Philippines: I had the opportunity to attend the last of the three pre-State of the Nation Address organized by the Office of the Cabinet Secretary and the President Communication Operations Office held in SMX Convention Center, Davao City with the theme “Tatak ng Pagbabago 2019: Patuloy na Katatagan.”

“The administration is steadfast in its resolve to maintain peace and order and to strengthen resilience of communities, thereby, enabling the Filipino people to live in a secure and peaceful nation,” according to the PCOO’s briefer released.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, also the chairman of the Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation, and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR) Cluster, presented its accomplishments and future directions in preserving and maintaining the country’s ecological integrity.

The CCAM-DRR was created pursuant to Executive Order 24 issued on May 16, 2017. It focuses on the conservation and protection of the environment and natural resources, and serves as a venue for discussing inter-related concerns on climate change and disaster risk management. It also takes the lead in the effective integration of policies and programs on climate risk management, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development. The cluster shall pursue the following objectives:

– Increase climate change resiliency of rural communities through increased agricultural productivity, water sufficiency, food security and climate and disaster risk-resilient development;

– Intensify sustainable management of natural resources through the adaptation of ridge-to-reef approach and sustainable integrated area development;

– Manage natural resources through strict enforcement of, and compliance with environmental standards and safeguards to achieve sustainable and resilient ecosystems;

– Ensure inclusive, people-centered, and sector-wide disaster mitigation, preparedness and quick emergency response, recovery and rehabilitation from natural and/or human-induced emergencies; and

– Promote and protect the Philippine national interest in adhering to international environment commitments.

The cluster is co-chaired by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. Twenty-one national government agencies are part of the cluster. The cluster secretariat is handled by the Climate Change Commission.

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Rudolph Ian Alama | Philippine Information Agency

January 14, 2019

The Aboitiz Group which owns and operates the Cleanergy Park  in Punta Dumalag in Davao City is set to establish a pawikan rescue center inside the park.

This after a memorandum of agreement was signed on Thursday, Jan. 10, between Aboitiz, the city government of Davao and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Jaime Jose Aboitiz, chief operating officer of Aboitiz Power cited the Cleanergy Park’s role in maintaining biodiversity in the area, educating the public about the value of protecting and preserving the critically endangered hawksbill turtles or pawikan and taking care of wounded and rescued pawikans before they are released to the wild.

“The agreement we signed today is our way of formalizing this very important service Aboitiz is committed in building additional facilities for this purpose,” Aboitiz said during the MoA signing where he was joined by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte and DENR-XI Regional Director Ruth Tawantawan.

Once known as the pawikan sanctuary as it is the nesting site of hawksbill turtles, the park  is surrounded by a 37 hectare marine protected area. It was transformed into an eco-park and opened in 2015 where 13,000 mangrove seedlings were planted.

To date, 3,482 turtle hatchlings have been discovered inside the park and released into the wild.

Meanwhile Mayor Sara Duterte reiterated the commitment of the city government in the protection of the various species of sea turtles found in Davao City.

“We look forward to the eventual creation of the Pawikan Rescue Center in Punta Dumalag not only to save our sea turtles but also other species of plant and animal life thriving within the marine protected area,” Duterte said during her speech at the MoA signing.

Hernel Tocmo | ABS-CBN News

Mar 18 2019 04:04 PM

Over 40 kilos of plastic trash were recovered from the stomach of a dead whale in the town of Mabini at the Compostela Valley.

The Cuvier's beaked whale found last Friday was subjected by Darrel Blatchley, founder of the D'Bone Collector Museum, to a necropsy which revealed that its belly was filled with over 16 pieces of sacks, grocery bags, and other garbage.

Blatchley said the whale died because of dehydration and starvation due to plastic ingestion.

Blatchley appealed to the public to refrain from throwing plastic trash in waterways since these could be eaten by animals.

"Every single river, every single canal goes directly to the ocean. So everything from small whales and dolphins, even the sea turtles are affected by this, as well as humans. We are eating the food that comes out of that ocean. So we're basically throwing our own garbage into our food source," he said.

Just this year, 3 whales and dolphins were found dead along the Davao gulf after ingesting plastic garbage.

Marchel P. Espina | Rappler

March 07, 2019 8:57 AM

The Negros Occidental provincial government says it now prohibits the entry of coal-fired power plants in the province.

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr made this declaration during the "Youth Strike for Negros," a silent protest participated by hundreds of youth leaders calling for urgent action from the provincial government, Wednesday, March 6, at the Capitol grounds.

He also signed an Executive Order (EO) declaring the province as a source of clean and renewable energy and coal-free. The announcement pumped up the young crowd.

The EO said the Renewable Energy (RE) Act of 2008 provides it is the state’s policy to encourage the development and utilization of RE sources as tools to effectively prevent or reduce harmful emissions and thereby balance the goals of economic growth and development with the protection of health and environment.

“More and more countries have been decommissioning its coal-fired power plants due to the damage it causes to the environment and in fact have been shifting to RE projects,” it said, adding that with proper technology transfer, the province has the landscape, capacity, and resources for further development and investment in RE projects.

These projects will not only address the energy supply but will also maintain the agricultural economic and social landscape of the province, the EO added.

Jun Ramirez | Manila Bulletin

April 21, 2019, 11:29 AM

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is granting a 50 percent income tax discount to businesses that develop, use and distribute technologies that do not harm the environment.

The tax incentive is provided under Revenue Regulations No. 5-2019 signed by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez and BIR Commissioner Caesar Dulay.

The guideline was reissued last week implementing the Philippine Green Jobs Law (RA 10771), stressing the role of the business community in reducing pollution and other environmental menace.

Qualified to join the program are businesses engaged in production, manufacturing, processing, repacking and assembly as well as the sale of goods and services.

Specifically, participants are required to come out with the so-called green technologies.

The eco-friendly technologies refer to the development and application of products, equipment and systems used to conserve the environment and natural resources.

To avail of the tax incentives, participants must register with the revenue district office where the business is registered.

The regulations stated the entity “shall be entitled to a special deduction from the taxable income equivalent to 50 percent of the total expense for skills, training and research development expenses.”

Louise Bevan | The Epoch Times

April 3, 2019

It may not sound like a meal plan to aspire towards, but Yale University students made a fascinating discovery in 2012: a rare species of mushroom that can survive purely by feeding on plastic. The extraordinary mushroom that grows in the Amazon rainforest, “Pestalotiopsis microspora,” can feed on polyurethane (the main ingredient in plastic production), transforming the man-made ingredient into organic matter. The university’s research quickly gained traction, and some hugely impactful findings have been shared.

Pestalotiopsis microspora can live without oxygen, which brought scientists to a very interesting conclusion: these mushrooms have the potential to be propagated at the bottom of landfill sites.

The detritus that has amassed from decades upon decades of wasteful plastic usage presents a phenomenal undertaking, but scientists maintain that Pestalotiopsis microspora may, at the very least, change public perception of plastics in a helpful and progressive way, perhaps starting at the level of local community.

If plastic-eating mushroom species were propagated at community composting centers, residents would have the opportunity to come face to face with nature’s very own plastic assailant. But beyond small-scale composting, we know that there’s a literal trash heap twice the size of Texas currently floating in the Pacific Ocean. Laurent Lebreton of the Ocean Cleanup Foundation emphasized a sense of urgency to USA Today: “Unless we begin to remove it,” he said, “some would say it may remain there forever.”

Mother Nature has the answer, and it’s a tasty one: some plastic-eating mushrooms can be eaten by humans.

Katharina Unger of Utrecht University devised an amazing demonstrative model, or “Fungi Mutarium,” a climate-controlled, dome-shaped environment in which agar cups were filled with plastic waste and oyster mushroom spores. Over the course of a month, the mushrooms’ roots consumed and transformed the plastic waste into edible material, without accumulating toxins. The “final product” could even be eaten whole, Unger revealed, tasting “sweet with the smell of anise or licorice.”