Environment and Natural Secretary Roy Cimatu, chair of the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM DRR), will lead the resiliency planning and convergence budgeting for the eight priority climate vulnerable provinces in a high-level meeting at the DENR Central Office in Quezon City on February 7, 2019.

Expected to attend the meeting are governors of the eight climate vulnerable provinces and key officials of the national government agencies, namely: Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Agriculture (DA), and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The meeting is intended to discuss the climate vulnerabilities in the priority provinces, and reinforce government thrust for a more prudent and targeted spending by fostering collaboration among agencies in planning, budgeting and implementing priority resilience programs and projects in the said provinces.

The eight priority provinces namely Masbate, Sorsogon, Negros Oriental, Samar, Sarangani, Surigao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, and Dinagat Islands are vulnerable based on their high susceptibility to climate hazards such as flooding, rainfall-induced landslide, storm surge, strong winds due to typhoon, typhoons and drought); high poverty incidence based on 2015 data; and are situated in critical watersheds.

The Cabinet Cluster CCAM-DRR Roadmap for 2018 to 2022 aims to establish climate- and disaster-resilient communities. By the year 2022, the CCAM DRR Cabinet Cluster anticipates the enhancement of climate- and disaster-resilient communities in the 17 climate vulnerable provinces, and major urban centers (Metro Manila, Cebu, Iloilo & Davao).

The aforecited concerned national government agencies, with the provincial governments are actively taking part in ensuring the achievement of these goals. The proposed Risk Resiliency Program key investment projects for 2020 are in the areas of: community livelihood and enterprise continuity; integrated water resources management; enhancing coastal protection; and climate information services. ###

Published: 04 February 2019

Upang palakasin ang pagpapatupad ng environmental laws ay magdaragdag ng apat na field offices sa Metro Manila ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) dahil na rin sa patuloy na paglobo ng populasyon sa Kalakhang Maynila na aabot na ngayon sa mahigit 12 milyong residente.

Ayon kay DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, ang hakbang na ito ay base na rin sa pagsisikap ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na ilapit sa tao ang serbisyo ng gobyerno partikular na ang mga naninirahan sa National Capital Region (NCR).

“The creation of the four field offices in the DENR-NCR aims to strengthen the enforcement of environment and natural resources laws and promote focused and area-based operations,” nakasaad pa sa nilagdaang DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-02 ni Cimatu kamakailan.

“Thus, this brings the programs, projects, and services of the department closer to the public,” dagdag pa nito.

Kasabay nito, sinabi pa ni Cimatu na ang pagdagdag ng mga bagong field offices ay upang magkaroon ng koordinasyon ang DENR at ang iba pang ahensiya ng gobyerno kabilang na dito ang mga local government units (LGUs) sa Metro Manila na naatasan ng Supreme Court (SC) na linisin ang Manila Bay.

Ang bawat field office ay may kanya-kanyang hurisdiksiyon sa 16 na lungsod at isang munisipalidad sa Metro Manila.

Magiging hurisdiksiyon ng DENR-North Metro Manila Field Office ang CAMANAVA area (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) habang ang South Metro Manila Field Office naman ay hahawakan ang Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa at Pateros.

Ang Quezon City naman kasama ang Marikina City at Pasig City ay mapapaloob sa East Metro Manila Field Office samantalang ang mga lungsod ng Manila, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati at Pasay ay mapapasama sa West Metro Manila Field Office.

Sinabi pa ni Cimatu, bukod sa east office, magkakaroon ng sub-station ang bawat field offices para sa implementasyon ng mga aktibidad ng isinasagawang rehabalitasyon sa Manila Bay.

Ang apat na field offices ay direktang mamanduhan ng DENR Regional Executive Director for NCR, ang bawat isang tanggapan ay pamumunuan ng Chief Environmental Officer at deputy nito, na magkakaroon ng tatlong sections na kinabibilangan ng Monitoring and Enforcement Section, Conservation and Development Section at Permitting and Regulation Section.

Tungkulin ng Monitoring and Enforcement Section ang pagmonitor kung sumusunod sa batas sa forestry, wildlife at iba pang environmental laws ang bawat lugar. Kabilang din sa trabaho nito ang magsagawa ng surveillance at investigation activities.

Magiging obligasyon naman ng Conservation and Development Section ang mga aktibidad sa protected areas and biodiversity, urban forestry, coastal resource and foreshore at community relations development.

Ang pag-iisyu naman ng permits at iba pang kinakailangang dokumento para sa forestry at wildlife ang magiging gawain ng Permitting and Regulation Section.

Lumalabas sa isinagawang survey ng national census noong 2015, umabot na sa 12,877,253 ang populasyon ng Metro Manila na may pinakamaliit na region sa bansa kung ang pag-uusapan ay ang land area. ###