212 trees in Bohol monitored by DENR for rehabilitation treatment
CEBU CITY, Oct. 18 (PIA) -- Some 212 trees mostly acacia (Samanea saman) inside the President Carlos P. Garcia Park in Tagbilaran City, Bohol were assessed and monitored by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7.
The DENR checked the health condition, stability, and the extent of preservation and maintenance of the trees in the park.
Of the number, nine were applied with rehabilitation treatments while 41 gemelina trees were recommended for cutting due to existing large cavities or other structural defects or weaknesses.
DENR 7 regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo explained, the tree surgery is a five-step process of removing the decayed or rotten portion, putting a disinfectant, applying a fungicide and a coal tar, and cementing the affected part of a tree.
Ecosystems Research and Development Services (ERDS) 7’s Forester Joselito Sumabat led the said assessment with representatives from the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENRO) Bohol, and Bohol Environmental Management Office (BEMO).
There is a regular monitoring to ensure the success of the rehabilitation treatment of the trees will be conducted, Montejo added.
ERDS Regional Technical Director Emma Melana said the communities should work to prevent inflicting injury to the trees and other stresses that compromise their health.
In a related development, DENR Secretary Ramon Paje has recently tasked forest guards to be on the look-out for signs of forest pest damage due to insect or fungi infestation while doing their forest surveillance duties.
In issuing DENR Administrative Order (DAO) 2012-05, Paje ordered “every Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) with forests under its jurisdiction” to designate a forest surveillance and monitoring officer (FPSMO).
Paje said that the forest-pest-watch duties of the forest guards forms part of the CENRO’s regular forest protection activities “with or without infestation.”
The administrative order likewise provides for a set of guidelines to carry out a forest pest response mechanism involving concerned Regional Executive Director (RED), Provincial Environment and Resources Officer (PENRO) and CENR Officer. (HFG/PIA-7/DENR-7)
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DENR-7 to distribute 10T hectares of untitled agricultural lands by 2012
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, Oct 18 (PIA) --- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 intends to fully distribute this year’s target of 21,834 patents covering 10,064 hectares of untitled agricultural lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) Extension program by November 30.
DENR-7 regional executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo said the balance of 11,604 patents or 53.1 percent is programmed to be completed before November 30.
As of September 15, DENR already granted a total of 10,230 patents or 46.9 percent of the targeted 21,834 with 4,224 hectares in Central Visayas.
Of the total number of patents already handed out, Bohol had issued the highest with 7,876 or 36.1 percent; Cebu province had signed 1,851 patents or 8.52 percent; Negros Oriental with 366 or 1.68 percent; and 137 patents or 0.63 percent for Siquijor.
Meanwhile, Lands Management Services (LMS) regional technical director Dr. Diana Apistar said they are preparing a catch up mechanism for the next three months to meet the goal.
Based on a plan prepared by the LMS, Bohol has 7,199 patents to cover 3,603 hectares while Cebu aims to issue 3,493 patents with 1,688 hectares.
Negros Oriental has added 409 patents with 276 hectares, and Siquijor with 503 patents or 50 hectares.
“Our strategy is to draw out the targets in a graduated mode until it becomes entirely finished before the November 30 deadline,” Apistar said.
Likewise, Montejo vowed to speed up the remaining patents up for distribution as it is very crucial to the overall accomplishment of DENR 7.
“We have been on top of the situation with regard to carrying out our aim to process and issue untitled agricultural lands under the CARP by mobilizing our field personnel to expedite its disposition,” Montejo concluded.(HFG-PIA-7/DENR-7)
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Volunteers initiate school clean-up in Asturias, Tuburan
CEBU, Oct 18 (PIA) -- About 1,200 community volunteers composed of parents, teachers, barangay officials in Asturias town in Cebu, nanays (mothers) of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Micro-finance Balamban Branch, members of the Barangay Luz Youth Coalition (BYLC), and Coalition for Better Education initiated a schools clean-up of eight elementary schools in Asturias and Tuburan towns in Cebu.
The beneficiary schools include Agtugop Elementary School, Agbanga Primary School, Tag-amakan Elementary School, and Asturias Central School.
The same clean-up activity was also held in Tuburan town in Sandayong Elementary School, Carmelo Elementary School, Daan-Lungsod Elementary School, and Tuburan Central School.
This clean-up project was initiated by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), a Cebu-based non-government organization that encourages various stakeholders, organizations and other interested individuals to help improve school facilities in Cebu province.
According to the guidance coordinator of Asturias district Ana Noemi Buhia, it is important that the community sees that the organizers are sincere in their efforts to help improve school facilities to provide the children with better learning environment.
Buhia added that when the community saw the “Bayanihan” spirit of other organizations, the community just responded with eagerness.
They worked hand-in-hand in cleaning and painting the classroom furniture and school buildings, doing minor repairs, and constructing native tree nurseries, Buhia noted.
The Coalition for Better education (CBE) official Ency Encinares lauded RAFI in its contribution to improve the quality of education in Cebu.
Encinares noted that RAFI has been an instrument in transforming the public schools in the province into a better learning environment that contributed student performance and participation.
It was learned that RAFI will turn over 27 classrooms to the school administrators of the eight elementary schools in Asturias and Tuburan in November this year.
Asturias and Tuburan, according to a news relealse from RAFI belong to the second batch of beneficiaries of its School Rehabilitation Program which is now on its third phase of implementation. (PIA-Cebu & with reports from RAFI)
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DSWD-7 turns-over 60 units to Core Shelter beneficiaries
By Hazel F. Gloria
CEBU CITY, Oct 18 (PIA) -- Over 60 brand new housing units were recently blessed and officially turned-over by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) seven to 60 indigent families beneficiaries of the government’s Core Shelter Assistance Project (CSAP) in Bajumpandan, Dumaguete City.
This project was undertaken using the “Bayanihan” scheme in partnership with the Dumaguete City government and the beneficiaries of the shelter project.
A total of 400 individuals will benefit from this project.
DSWD-7 provided the P4.2-million shelter assistance grant used to buy construction supplies and materials while the Dumaguete City local government unit provided the land and undertook the site’s development and improvements.
These 60 family-beneficiaries formed themselves into a homeowners association and are expected to make their own Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for maintenance and operations purposes.
City Social Welfare Officer Tinang Jubela said, the beneficiary families were identified from the list of affected population in the city when it was hit by the devastating flash floods brought about by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 and Typhoon Sendong in 2011.
DSWD-7’s Disaster-Response Focal Person, Sheba Dabon, said the housing assistance project is not the typical dole-out grants where cash is given to beneficiaries.
In CSAP, beneficiary families have to give counterpart either in kind or labor as part of the agreement signed between the parties involved, Dabon added.
Dabon also said, “Gi-infuse sa DSWD ang bayanihan element sa project implementation para naay ownership ang matag pamilya. Sila sab mismo ang nagpanday-panday ug nitabang sa paghimo sa ila mga balay (DSWD infused the bayanihan element in the project implementation process so that the families will have a sense of ownership. They themselves helped in constructing their houses)."
Other than the 60 finished core shelter units in Dumaguete City, another 187 houses are currently undergoing construction in Siaton, Negros Oriental.
Meanwhile, other towns in Negros Oriental also received separate cash assistance for the repair of their dwellings which were partially or totally damaged by the typhoon in a form of Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) amounting to P18,090,000.
ESA beneficiaries included the towns of Amlan, Bacong, Dauin, Mabinay, Pamplona, San Jose, Sibulan, Tanjay, and Valencia. (HFG-PIA-7/DSWD-7)