2011 is declared as 10th Int’l Year of Volunteers (IYV + 10) in the PHL
By: Minerva BC Newman
Cebu, March 21 (PIA) –Presidential proclamation # 92 has declared 2011 as 10th anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10) in the Philippines .
This is in support of the global theme, “Volunteering for MDG” that the National Volunteer Month (NVM) Steering Committee earlier endorsed to President Benigno S. Aquino III.
The declaration of IYV+10 acknowledges the important role of volunteers and stakeholders in volunteerism.
It also serves as a significant milestone in the promotion, networking, facilitation and recognition of volunteer practitioners and supporters.
The year 2011 is the 10th anniversary of International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10) and the UN-member countries are all enjoined to highlight the celebration of the event with such activities and programs that would heighten awareness and appreciation of volunteerism and make it a useful instrument for achieving the 8-fold Millennium Development Goals (MGDs), along with the global theme, “Volunteering for the MDGs.”
The government also recognizes the contributions of the volunteer sector in nation building thus, providing the legal framework to create an enabling environment for the promotion and strengthening of volunteerism in the country and for honoring the volunteers.
The country strongly supports local, national and international initiatives that further the adoption and practice of volunteerism that include; the UN declaration of December 5 as International Volunteer Day in the Philippines; National Volunteer Month every December; and 2001 as International Year of Volunteers that the UN general assembly declared in 1997 and actively celebrated in the Philippines.
Volunteerism continues to be a cultural tradition that the Filipino upheld and practiced generation after generation permeating the national psyche with humanitarian values. (PIA-7/MBCN)
PAMB to update protected landscape management plan
By: Hazel F. Gloria
Cebu City, March 20 (PIA) --The Central Cebu Protected Landscape-Protected Area Management Board (CCPL-PAMB) recently hold its general assembly meeting to prepare, update and revise its management plan to attune it to the existing needs and environmental requirements of the time.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) regional executive director Maximo Dichoso that presided the meeting said, with the approval of CCPL-PAMB memberships, the board has created functional committees to handle specific, clear and more defined functions and responsibilities.
“This is to expedite or accelerate the programs and projects to be carried out within the protected area. We have committees to study and subsequently conduct the survey and prepare the management plan in coordination with other concerned offices,” Dichoso added.
Dichoso stated that the revised CCPL Management Plan will be attuned to the existing needs and environmental protection requirements today and “we will delineate boundaries in the ground hopefully to be completed this year,” he added.
The updated Management Plan will also include areas or zones for strict protection and multiple-use instead of five zones before, he said.
“As of this time, we have delineated 34 kilometers and we intend to cover the whole area within CCPL for the actual ground delineation with the help and assistance of the business sectors,” he explained.
Dichoso emphasized that the protection, conservation and management of Central Cebu Protected Landscape is a collective and joint efforts among local government units, non-government organizations, business sectors and other stakeholders through the PAMB, and DENR only sits as its chair and provides technical assistance and administrative support.
Dichoso added the five Site Management Units (SMUs) are organized via watershed approach and parks composed of barangay captains to simplify and focus a specific watershed area by concerned barangay.
The Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL) under Republic Act No. 9486 that was approved on June 7, 2007 covers a consolidated area of 28,312 hectares.
It consists of the Buhisan Watershed Forest Reserve, Mananga Watershed Forest Reserve, Sudlon National Park , Central Cebu National Park and the Kotkot-Lusaran Watershed Forest Reserve that span the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Toledo and Danao, and in the municipalities of Minglanilla, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela, and Balamban.
The personnel complement of CCPL include the Protected Area Superintendent (PASu) as its head and back up by DENR support staff.
Dichoso also said regular PAMB meetings or general assemblies will be conducted on a quarterly basis instead of two meetings per year.
“This will allow us to thresh out more environmental issues and concerns through PAMB resolution and deliberation for programs and projects and any other activities in CCPL areas,” he added.
The last gathering was probably the biggest turnout of attendance in the history of CCPL-PAMB meetings and this is an expression that members are serious to get their acts together for the protection of the environment, Dichoso commented.
In the same meeting, Dichoso also presented the CCPL-PAMB eight committees with their respective chairmen.
Renato de Rueda of Cebu Biodiversity Conservation Foundation Inc. chairs the committee on Research and Policy while Socorro Atega of Cebu Uniting for Sustainable Water chairs the committee on Project and Infrastructure.
Joy Caceres of Environmental Legal Assistance Center chairs the committee onConflict and Legal Services; Aida Granert of Soil and Water Conservation Foundation, committee on Capacity-Building and Promotion and Junie Montenegro of the Cebu Provincial Planning and Development Office chairs the committee on Monitoring and Evaluation.
Jessie Cubijano of Philippine Business of Social Progress chairs the Economic and Social committee; Armando Paredes of Metro Cebu Water District , Ways and Means and Jose Gapas of Mag-uugmad Foundation for the committee on Natural Resources and Law Enforcement.
Each committee will have a maximum of five members to include the chairman and vice chairman. (PIA-7/HFG with reports from DENR-7/Eddie Llamedo)
Strengthen DRRM capacities of barangays nationwide
By: Minerva BC Newman
Manila, March 21 (PIA) -- There is an urgent need to strengthen the disaster risk reduction management capabilities of barangays in the country to make the nation disaster resilient.
Senator Loren Legarda,chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change called on all the 42,000 barangays nationwide to be actively involve in establishing DRR measures in their respective communities.
A crucial part in making our nation disaster resilient is the information dissemination. Barangay officials must take the responsibility of informing the people in their communities about their disaster preparedness plans.
"They must know what to do, where to go, and how to respond to different signals that would warn them of an impending danger,” Legarda said.
Barangay officials should initiate a system within their communities, through massive and effective information campaign, on how to respond to hazards.
The Senator explained that every individual in the barangays must be aware of what to do before, during and after a disaster.
Furthermore, warning signals should be explained and evacuation sites or centers must already be identified so that everyone knows where to go for safety.
“These safety areas should be inspected if they are structurally safe to protect the families that will be taking temporary refuge there. Adequate supply of emergency food and water should already be stored,” Legarda added.
Barangay captains should ensure that they have direct access to their municipal or city officials so they can immediately report the situation in their communities when a disaster occurs and ask for necessary support or assistance.
On the other hand, the private and business sectors, as part of their corporate social responsibility, should take the initiative of making a commitment or doing their share in building disaster resilient communities, the lady senator added.
There is an urgent need to strengthen the capacity of our local communities to prevent and prepare for any disaster.
The implementation of disaster risk reduction measures at the barangay level is key to building a disaster and climate resilient nation,” Legarda concluded. (PIA-7/MBCN w/reports from the Office of Senator Legarda)
Public-private partnership essential in sustaining
the ‘Save the Buhisan Watershed’ Project in Cebu
by: Fayette C. Rinen
(In celebration of World Water Day tomorrow, Buhisan donors’ forum set)
Cebu City (21 March) - In celebration of the World Water Day tomorrow March 22, public-private partnership is highlighted in sustaining the ‘Save the Buhisan Watershed’ Project launched three years ago as part of Cebu’s environmental response to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.
The project, now on its third year is sustained through multi-stakeholder partnerships. To date around P5.6M worth of projects at the watershed site was implemented with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) and its partners working with some 20 partner-donors to collectively mobilize the funding to support the various projects, according to the PBSP.
These projects include sustainable livelihood and enterprise development support for poor communities, water and sanitation, environment protection and rehabilitation initiatives like reforestation and eco-cultural tourism development.
The PBSP with the support of the Metro Cebu Water District, Cebu Uniting for Sustainable Water and the Cebu City Government has studiously worked for the involvement of the business sector in the development of Metro Cebu, the PBSP stated.
The ‘Save the Buhisan Watershed’ Project, spearheaded by Lexmark International Philippines, Inc. and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation is the business sector’s contribution to achieve the MDG on poverty reduction, this is learned.
Sustaining the Buhisan Watershed is critical as this is one of the two sources of surface water tapped by the Metro Cebu Water District (MCWD) for distribution to households and industries in Cebu City.
In celebration of the World Water Day tomorrow and the 100th anniversary of the Buhisan Reservoir, a Buhisan Donor’s Forum is slated in the morning at the site to give recognition to 20 donors that have made the project goals in the watershed possible.
Tomorrow’s event will also highlight the inauguration of four projects as accomplishments of the "Save Buhisan Watershed" project namely the 1st bay Buhisan Watershed and Forest Reserve Nature Center; Two-Pond Storm Water Catchment System; Central Nursery of Indigenous Tree Seedlings and Butterfly Sanctuary. (PIA-Cebu/FCR)
DOH-7 taps Cebu biz sector to promote programs
aimed at reducing maternal death rate in PHL
Cebu City (21 March) - Amid the tall order to reduce maternal mortality rate in the country as part of the Philippines’ commitment to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Department of Health (DOH)-7 is tapping the support of the private sector in the information and education campaign of its Family Planning (FP) and Maternal Child Health Care (MCHC) Programs within the workplaces.
Early last week, representatives of the DOH-7 together with the Cebu City HealthOffice and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) discussed how they could partner with each other to educate and promote FP and MCHC not only to promote the welfare of women employees but also to reduce the incidence of maternal deaths.
DOH-7 Family Planning Coordinator Dr. Lutgardia Herbias bared the meeting was fruitful as 26 companies responded to the call of the DOH-7 to incorporate the advocacy on FP and MCHC programs as part of their corporate social responsibility.
“We are very happy that the private sector warmed to the idea of helping us in the education campaign as we made them understand that such a program will also be beneficial to them addressing work-related issues such as tardiness and absenteeism,” according to Herbias.
Herbias said that FP and MCHC are programs designed to promote the health and welfare of the women sector that otherwise would result to tardiness and absenteeism if one is sickly.
Under the United Nations’ MDGs, the Philippines must reduce the maternal mortality rate to 52 deaths per 100,000 population, by 2015 which at the moment is pegged at 162 deaths per 100,000 populace, Herbias said.
“it is a formidable task as chances are slim of achieving such an objective although we are trying very hard,” Herbias stressed.
Post partum hemorrhage is the number one cause of maternal mortality rate in the Philippines, this is learned.
The DOH-7 FP coordinator expressed optimism that other private establishments will also heed the call of the government to support and promote programs like FP and MCHC to ensure optimum health among its employees.
“Public-private partnership is a key tool to make any undertaking a success,” Herbias noted. (PIA-Cebu/Fayette C. Riñen)
DENR-7 to launch “Tarp-to-Tree” project tomorrow
By: Hazel F. Gloria
Cebu City , March 21(PIA) -- Around 300 participants from the academe, local government units, national government agencies, business sectors and other stakeholders are expected to participate tomorrow’s launching of “Tarp-to-Tree” project and community tree planting in Barangay Inagayan, Naga City , Cebu in celebration of the world water Day (WWD).
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7), Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and Barangay Inayagan, Naga City Cebu will sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the “Tarp-to-Tree” project which includes tree planting, development and maintenance of a five-hectare tree plantation in Barangay Inayagan, Naga City, Cebu.
DENR-7 regional executive director Maximo Dichoso said we urgently need concerted efforts in mitigating and coping measures to the impacts of climate change by increasing the capacity of our forests to absorb carbon dioxide through enhanced vegetation cover.
The “Tarp-to-Tree” project collects used tarpaulin materials in exchange for saplings of tree species.
Dichoso said our forest could sequester carbon as it regulates climate and provides clean water and clean air for a healthier environment.
The government embarks on a massive greening program aimed at reducing poverty in the countryside and ensuring food security, biodiversity conservation and addressing climate change.
“Our partnership with the Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. and Barangay Inayagan, Naga City , Cebu is supportive to the National Greening Program which is a priority of President Benigno S. Aquino III in an effort to bring back the lost forest cover of the country,” Dichoso said.
Specifically, Dichoso said the goal is to plant 1.5 billion trees in some 1.5 million hectares from 2011 to 2016, which is more than twice the government’s accomplishment of 730,000 hectares for the past 25 years.
For Central Visayas , a total of 2.816 million seedlings will be planted this year to cover 7,499 hectares.
The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro .
The United General Assembly designated 22 March of each year as the World Day for water by adopting a resolution.
This world day for water was to be observed starting in 1993, in conformity with the recommendations of United Nations Conference on Environment and Development as contained in chapter 18 (Freshwater resources) of Agenda 21.
“Water quality is improved as trees take up nutrients and pollutants as they grow. Water tables are recharged as they allow the rainwater to percolate down the aquifers,” Dichoso explained.
Government’s mandate is to ensure the rehabilitation, protection and conservation of the environment and natural resources through the restoration of denuded and degraded mountains as well as, forest lands and protected areas involving various stakeholders, Dichoso added.
This year’s theme for 2011 world water day is “Water for cities: Responding to the Urban Challenge”.PIA-7/HFG with data from DENR-7/Ed Llamedo)