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)
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DAR Cebu celebrates CARPER
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, June 22 (PIA) -- The Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office in Cebu (DARPO) recently celebrated the 3rd year anniversary of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER) with an Agraryo Trade Fair on June 15 in Cebu City.
DAR-Cebu OIC-Provincial Agrarian Reform officer Isaganie Yee encouraged the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) to continue to be productive as he expects the farmers to join again the Agro-Trade Fair on September 14.
The fair will display fresh organic products, bags, accessories, and novelty items produced by ARBs and people’s organizations here in Cebu to promote their products and to encourage entrepreneurship and develop agricultural productivity among the agrarian farmers.
On June 19, DARPO Cebu will hold a tree-planting activity with 120 DAR Cebu provincial and municipal employees in Carcar that planted an estimated 2,000 seedlings to speed up the rehabilitation of watershed areas of Can-asujan,Carcar, Cebu, DARPO officials said.
The tree planting was in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) that identified the areas and provided planting materials such as seedlings and many others.
DARPO Cebu and DENR-7 signed a Memorandum of Agreement on June 7 that brought the convergence initiatives of three major line agencies such as DAR, Department of Agriculture (DA), and DENR to integrate and strengthen development framework among the departments and to promote the National Greening Program to further contribute to the protection of the environment.
The month-long celebration entails activities such as a land title distribution in Balamban on June 13; Argao on June 14; and Tabogon on June 20 with a total of 162 ARBs receiving their certificates of land ownership awards.
The culmination program, awarding ceremony, and employees’ day will be on June 29, 2012.
The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPer) took effect on July 1, 2009 with a P150 million extension budget for CARP especially on Land Acquisition and Distribution program for five years which will be completed in 2014.(mbcn/hfg-PIA 7 & DARPO)