The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will unveil a series of projects, programs and activities during the roll out of Project TRANSFORM or the Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Environmental Sustainability through Multistakeholder Engagement in Surigao del Norte on June 23.

Following the successful launch of Project TRANSFORM in three pilot municipalities of Surigao del Norte—Malimono, San Francisco, and Burgos—during the Mindanao leg of the DENR Multistakeholder Forum last February 4, the DENR will be adding the municipality of Del Carmen to its pool of initial identified sites.

The DENR, under the leadership of Secretary Antonia Loyzaga, first announced the implementation of Project TRANSFORM in Visayas with Ormoc City, Leyte as its pilot area on January 18, and then in Luzon with the municipalities of Limay, Mariveles, and Orion in Bataan province as pilot sites on May 9.

Project TRANSFORM is the DENR’s strategic approach in engaging the whole of society in the implementation of evidence-informed and responsive programs to improving local economy, enhancing community resilience, and promoting public-private partnerships.

In support of this initiative, the DENR will be signing a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with mining company Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation (THPAL) for Adopt-National Greening Program (NGP) Site Projects.

THPAL will undertake a reforestation and rehabilitation program, and ensure the maintenance and protection of 53-hectares of forest area in the municipality in compliance with the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued to THPAL.

Aside from these, the DENR will also launch the “DENR Services on Wheels,” which is a mobile one-stop shop that will provide communities with routinary services without the need to go to the mainland. It will accept online applications for ECC, and tenural instrument requests and applications, among others. The DENR hopes to institutionalize this in other regions as well to make its services closer to the people.

The event will also see the ceremonial awarding of the Protected Area Community-Based Resource Management Agreement (PACBRMA), a tenurial instrument issued to a PO to develop, utilize, manage, conserve and protect the Community Based Program (CBP) in Protected Areas, to the Kaugmaon Nan Sapaonon Association Inc. (KINSAI).

The KINSAI is the second out of nine POs to be awarded with PACBRMA in Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS). The first was awarded to Josafat Farmers and Fisherfolks Association Inc. in December 2022. ##