Kaugnay sa pagdiriwang ng International Youth Day noong nakaraang ika-12 ng Agosto 2023 na may temang “Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World”, ang tanggapan ng CENRO Lipa ay nakiisa sa pamamagitan ng pagtanggap at pagkakaroon ng tinatawag na Youth Ambassador. Ang naturang aktibidad na ito ay pinangunahan ng City Community Affairs Office ng Lungsod ng Lipa na naglalayon na mas paigtingin ang kamalayan ng mga kabataan sa pamamagitan ng iba’t ibang aktibidad na makakatulong sa kanilang personal na pag-unlad, gayundin, para sa makabuluhang pamayanan.
Nagkaroon ng limang-araw na pamamalagi sa CENRO Lipa ang Youth Ambassador na si Rafael James Garcia mula sa San Celestino Integrated National High School simula noong Agosto 14 hanggang Agosto 18, 2023. Sa loob ng mga araw na ito, nagkaroon ng iba’t ibang klaseng gawain ang Youth Ambassador alinsunod sa mga programa ng Tanggapan. Kabilang na rito ang pagsama sa monitoring activities ng Enforcement and Monitoring Section, imbestigasyon ng mga parsela ng lupa na isinasagawa ng Regulation and Permitting Section at pagbisita sa nursery na pinaglalagakan ng iba’t-ibang klase ng mga pananim ng Conservation and Development Section.
Ginawaran ng sertipiko ng pagpapahalaga si Garcia bilang pagkilala sa kanyang aktibong pakikilahok sa mga gawain ng tanggapan sa loob ng ilang araw.###
On August 11, 2023, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office- Lipa, had its successful ceremonial signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the City of Sto. Tomas, Batangas for the implementation of the Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP).
The MOA affirms the commitment of the parties to collaborate in the joint implementation of the Forest Land Use Plan, which will serve as a core document in harmonizing the use of forest lands of the City of Sto. Tomas.
“Ang ilang mandato po para sa kagubatan ay nasa DENR, pero ang mas mahalaga po ay kung sino ang naiiwan sa isang komunidad- at iyon po ay ang ating lokal na pamahalaan. Hindi po natatapos ang ating kooperasayon at pagtutulungan sa pirmahan at pagbabalangkas lamang, ang tunay na hamon po na ating kakaharapin ay ang implementasyon”, Regional Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria reiterated after the signing of the agreement.
The City of Sto. Tomas has existing forestland/forest reserve per Land Classification Map No. 582 dated December 31, 1925 and data from the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), which are threatened due to various management issues relating to tenure and boundary conflicts, open access, geological hazards, and other environmental issues associated with fast and unregulated development in the uplands and other critical slopes.
“Asahan po ninyo na patuloy ang aming pagsuporta at pakikiisa sa hangarin ng DENR na pangalagaan at gamitin ng tama ang kalikasan at likas yaman”, Honorable Mayor Arth Jhun A. Marasigan.
Present during the signing ceremony were the DENR CALABARZON key officials headed by Regional Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Jose Elmer C. Bascos, PENR Officer Noel M. Recillo, CENR Officer Allan Willard M. Estillore and LGU of Sto. Tomas Officials headed by Honorable Mayor Atty. Arth Juhn A. Marasigan, City ENR Officer Eric Velasco, Honorable Gerardo Malijan- Chairman on the Committee on Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, and Honorable Leendel Jane D. Punzalan- City Planning and Development Coordinator.###
Bay, Laguna – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) CALABARZON entered into a Memorandum of Partnership Agreement (MOPA) with the municipal government of Bay, Laguna to accelerate land titling through the Rapid Land Tenure Appraisal (RLTA) on August 7, 2023. The ceremonial signing was held at the SB Conference Hall, Municipal Hall, Bay, Laguna.
The signing ceremony was attended by Regional Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria CESO III, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services (ARDTS) Jose Elmer C. Bascos, and PENRO Eriberto B. Saños, CESE. Also present in the ceremony were Licenses, Patents and Deeds Division Chief and Assistant Chief, Engr. Olivia G. Bejo and Naomie Z. Perilla. PENRO Laguna Technical and Management Services Division Chiefs, Divina A. Villaluz and Mailene M. Gecolea-Laviña also witnessed the signing of MOPA.
On the other hand, the municipal government of Bay was duly represented by Mayor Jose O. Padrid, Vice Mayor John Paul C. Villegas and all the Sangguniang Bayan members including the ABC President and the SK Federation President. Moreover, the Municipal Assessor, MENRO and the Municipal Administrator graced the event with their presence.
RLTA, as defined by Land Management Bureau (LMB) Technical Bulletin No. 1, s-2018, “is the process to obtain a clear picture of the land tenure situation on the ground before land titling operations are entered into the area”. It paves the way for the faster titling of lands in a municipality or city by conducting activities such as land tenure profiling and consolidation of cadastral maps which focus on untitled lots that are potential for free patent applications.
DENR CALABARZON Regional Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria emphasized that the main purpose of land titling is to provide security of tenure to the locals. Apart from it, Tamoria explained some other advantages of land titling such as boosting local economic development through taxation, maintaining peace and order, and enhancing and updating land information database which can be utilized by the municipality and the DENR.
Coordination with the municipality of Bay, Laguna had been made as early as May 11, by the PENRO Laguna with Mayor Jose O. Padrid to propose a MOPA on RLTA in the municipality. In view of the positive feedback from the LGU, the Sangguniang Bayan of Bay, Laguna approved Resolution 2023-104 on July 17, 2023 allowing Mayor Padrid to enter into the said MOPA with the DENR CALABARZON.
Bay, Laguna is the 18th municipality in the region to have entered into a MOPA with the DENR CALABARZON. The record reveals that only 40 residential and 163 agricultural free patents have been processed and issued by the PENRO Laguna. Said statistics are expected to double once the RLTA has been introduced in the municipality.###
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) - Southern Luzon conducted an on-site inspection and monitoring at CENRO Lipa City on July 31, 2023,. This is to ensure that the frontline services are being delivered in accordance with the objectives of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act. The on-the-spot evaluation is intended to assess compliance with the pertinent issuances issued by the ARTA for the purpose of streamlining government service delivery and promoting ease of doing business in all government transactions.
The ARTA Team evaluated the compliance of the said office with the provisions of Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, ARTA Memorandum Circular No. 2019-002 series of 2019, ARTA Memorandum Circular No. 2020-07, the establishment of Public Assistance and Complaints Desk (PACD), ARTA Memorandum Circular No. 2021-09, and ARTA Memorandum Circular 2022-02. CENRO Lipa City has been found compliant with all the foregoing issuances.
The team commended the Office for having an interactive user-friendly kiosk. The kiosk shows the step-by-step procedures based on the DENR Citizen’s Charter along with the complete list of requirements and the maximum time to complete each frontline service. The interactive kiosk is one of the initiatives to consistently improve the processes and service delivery to the public. After the inspection, the ARTA team discussed the result of the observations and findings with CENR Officer Allan Willard Estillore, together with the Committee on Anti-Red Tape (CART) of CENRO Lipa.###
The Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) of Alabat Watershed Forest Reserve conducted a Biodiversity Monitoring System (BMS) within the eight (8) established transect stations in the protected area on August 10, 2023, to determine the current trend and status of biodiversity within the Second Semester of 2023. The activity was followed by a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) held in Brgy. Bacong, Alabat, Quezon the next day.
The activity consisted of an assessment of flora and fauna components, determination of environmental conditions, and observation of dynamic changes occurring in the protected area. The BMS composite team led by PASu Forester Romel David Rama together with the AWFR-PAMO staff, namely, Forester Nolan Abastillas, FT I Allan Panganiban, FR John Michael Barizo, FR Karla Omaña, FR Dennis Olaya, and Forester Patrice Angela Veloso carried out the assessment through a transect walk, field diary, photo documentation, and Focus Group Discussion (FGD).
The team gathered data along the established transect route and noted their observations per station. Further, the physical parameters of the area were assessed by determining the soil and water pH, air and water temperature, relative humidity, and Total Dissolved Solids.
After the BMS team identified and generated vital data during the monitoring, the results were presented to the community through FGD wherein the local community partakes in the discussion relative to the issues concerning the protected area. FGD with the community monitoring group primarily aims to solicit data regarding the status of wildlife in the protected area and to determine the existing threat to the resources including the incidence of illegal activities. Likewise, intended to improve the participation of the communities in protected area management and conservation.
Per the results of the conducted monitoring, the recorded data shows that the physical conditions are still within allowable values and there was no observed occurrence of illegal activities within the protected area. Further, it was revealed that during the monitoring period, newly recorded species of Aves were observed to be thriving in the protected area, namely, White-bellied Sea Eagle and Black-chinned Fruit Dove. Further, the floral component with 878 recorded species remains constant while the faunal component with 308 recorded species has a minimal decrease in number.
Based on the findings, certain factors were enumerated which have probably contributed to the slight decrease in the observed number of fauna species including food supply and weather conditions during the time of monitoring.
Despite the slight decrease in the species observed for this semester, the AWFR still serves as home to numerous wildlife including species of flora i.e., Palosapis, Yakal, Apitong, Guijo. Bagtikan, Narra, Molave, Kamagong, Tindalo, Makaasim, Dao, and Lisak. Also, inhabiting faunal species include Civet cat, Python, Monitor lizard, Common emerald dove, White-eared brown dove, Red turtle dove, Brahminy kite, White-breasted wood swallow, and Philippine pied fantail.
BMS is undertaken semi-annually by protected area management staff in accordance with the mandate of the Republic Act No. 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (ENIPAS) of 2018. It is a tool designed to improve ways of conserving and protecting forest biodiversity within protected areas.###
