DENR-7 plants thousands of mangrove in Olango
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, June 23 (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) in the region planted more than 2,000 mangrove propagules within the 1,028-hectare Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Lapu-Lapu City, as part of its environment month celebration.
DENR-7 regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said the DENR wants to make sure that the coastal areas are maintained by conducting a regular mangrove planting and maintenance, and coastal cleanup by enlisting the assistance of the communities and other stakeholders.
“Mangroves are salt-tolerant, woody, seed-bearing plants ranging in size from small shrubs to tall trees, and they exist along sheltered intertidal coastlines and in association with estuaries and lagoons,” Montejo added.
In a similar event last June 20, nearly 70 volunteers from DENR, local government units, and other stakeholders conducted maintenance and monitoring on the planted mangroves by removing tidal debris that included algae and plastics, which were attached to the branches and stems.
They also collected around 20 kilos of garbage mostly plastics and other litters.
Montejo explained that although mangroves live on saline soils, they have the usual plant requirements of freshwater, nutrients, and oxygen, which is why maintenance is part of ensuring their survival.
Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Lapulapu City, with a spread area of over 1,028 hectares, is the Philippines' first wetland of international importance for waterfowl and covers vast mangrove forest.
Out of 70 mangrove tree species in the world, 34 are in the Philippines, and one hectare of mangrove trees produces up to 3.6 tons of litterfall annually, and one hectare of healthy mangrove ecosystem produces about 1.08 tons of fish per year, Montejo said.
Mangroves provide nursery grounds for fish, prawns, and crabs, and support fisheries production in coastal waters; protect the environment by protecting coastal areas and communities from storm surges, waves, tidal currents and typhoons; produce organic biomass (carbon), and reduce organic pollution in nearshore areas by trapping or absorption, the DENR-7 brochure read.
Montejo urged coastal communities to help in protecting the mangroves and participate in the maintenance as they provide shelter for local and migratory wildlife, and serve as roosting and foraging grounds.
Meanwhile, from September to November, thousands of shorebirds migrate to Olango and farther south to Australia and New Zealand, after breeding in China, Russia, and Alaska following the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, the DENR official shared.
Soon after winter, from March to May, the shorebirds begin their northward migration and thousands of them pass by Olango en route to the breeding areas in northern hemisphere.
The mangrove planting and monitoring, and coastal cleanup is one of the features of the Environment Month 2012 celebration with theme, “Green Economy: Does it include you?”. (mbcn/hfg-PIA7/DENR-7)
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DENR-7 facilitates mine tour in Toledo City
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, June 23 (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) in the region facilitated a mine and plant tour at the Carmen Copper Corporation (CCC), formerly Atlas Mining, in Toledo City on June 22 to 60 participants from the academe, national government agencies, non-government organizations, local government units, religious groups, and other stakeholders.
Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) regional director Loreto Alburo said, the activity is done to avoid speculations on mining and to show the participants that laws and principles of responsible mining are well-defined and clear.
Alburo added the MGB recognizes the critical role of stakeholders as partners and collaborators and with their vigilance against destroying the country’s environment and natural resources.
“It is our belief that there is a need to clearly state and clarify what responsible mining is all about as we feel the need to communicate particularly the corporate social responsibility (CSR) component through the social development and management program (SDMP) and other environmental protection initiatives of the company,” Alburo explained.
Straddling seven barangays in the cities of Toledo and Naga, Carmen Copper Corp. is a 100 percent subsidiary of Atlas Consolidated Mining and Development Corporation (ACMDC) with a mineral property of 5,218.116 hectares.
The company started copper mining operations in 1955 that utilized both surface and underground mining methods to extract copper ore from four open pits and two underground mines.
Alburo added the MGB regularly conducts a mine and plant tour in all the operating mines and quarries in Central Visayas for transparency in the monitoring and evaluation of the mining firms.
Likewise, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said the company has contributed to the implementation of the national greening program (NGP) by planting the most number of seedlings at 207,374 or 66.5 percent that covers 132.39 hectares or 45.94 percent out of the 288.16-hectare target for 2011 for mining firms.
The Atlas property in Toledo City still has considerable ore reserves estimated at 873.815 million metric tons at 0.41 percent copper of which 276.043 million tons are contained in the Carmen ore body.(mbcn/hfg-PIA-7/DENR-7)
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Exhibit on Spanish-era churches opens in Samboan
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, June 23 (PIA) -- Spanish-era churches in a traveling exhibit titled “Hidden Treasures: An Exhibit of Spanish-era Philippine Churches” opened last June 10 and ended June 17 at the Parochial Center of the Saint Michael Archangel Parish in Samboan, Cebu.
The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), through its Culture & Heritage and the Ortigas Foundation, initiated the traveling exhibit in the parishes of Cebu and Bohol in partnership with the Archdiocese of Cebu.
"The 'Hidden Treasures' exhibit is designed to travel to various parishes to educate people from different social backgrounds about the cultural value of the Spanish-era churches, and make them understand why Filipinos need to protect them," Florencio Moreño II, Casa Gorodo Museum curator explained.
Moreno added, it is also one way of reaching out to communities for their awareness and appreciation of the local culture and religious heretage.
RAFI culture and heritage executive director Jocelyn Gerra said Samboan was chosen as one of the destinations of the traveling exhibit because of the historic church of Saint Michael and its surrounding defensive structures, whose beginnings can be traced back to the 1700s.
"We are hopeful that the holding of Hidden Treasures in Samboan will bring public attention to the old church and convent of Saint Michael, which badly needs rehabilitation," Fr. Marion Mejia, parish priest of Saint Michael Archangel Parish, said.
Gerra added that the work needed to conserve the Samboan coral stone church requires collaboration among different stakeholders including the local community.
For more information about Hidden Treasures and other programs of RAFI Culture & Heritage, visit www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph. (mbcn/hfg-PIA7/RAFI)
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Two-day workshop set on wildlife traffic monitoring
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, June 23 (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) conducted a two-day training workshop for the DENR wildlife traffic monitoring team in the region last June 19 and 20 at the DENR Training Hall, Banilad, Mandaue City.
DENR-7 regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said protecting and conserving the country’s wildlife resources and their habitats is one way of promoting ecological balance and enhancing biological diversity.
Organized by the Protected Areas, Wildlife and Coastal Zone Services, the training workshop had 30 participants from field offices of the four provinces.
The regional wildlife traffic monitoring unit was created to ensure the strict compliance and effective implementation of all existing wildlife laws, rules and regulations, including pertinent international agreements.
Mines and Geosciences Bureau legal officer Atty. Gerardo Mahusay presented mining-related laws, while Dr. Luisito Babaran of the Forest Management Services (FMS) discussed forestry laws, rules, and regulations.
Montejo added that they want to enforce the existing regulations very actively, with respect to collection and trade of wildlife and mineral resources in these strategic areas.
In a related development, DENR-7 continues to coordinate with other law enforcement agencies, particularly the Bureau of Customs and the National Bureau of Investigation, and other concerned authorities, on the alleged commercial trading of macaque monkeys from Indonesia via the internet.
“Killing, destroying, inflicting injury, trading, collecting, hunting, and possessing of wildlife species is punishable under the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001 or Republic Act No. 9174,” Montejo explained. (mbcn/hfg-PIA 7/ DENR 7)