Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has urged tourists who engage in scuba diving and snorkeling activities in ecotourism sites to observe “environmentally responsible behaviors” to avoid harming corals and other marine life.

“We call on those who visit underwater sites to dive carefully and avoid damaging the reef or disturbing underwater life by chasing, touching, poking or moving them,” Cimatu said.

Cimatu said it is highly important to protect and preserve the country’s marine environment, which is home to a vast array of endemic and threatened species.

The environment chief made the call as the government gears up for the much-awaited reopening of Boracay Island later this month and after photos of two vandalized corals in Batangas went viral on social media recently.

Boracay, which has been ordered closed for six months to pave the way for much-needed rehabilitation from environmental damage, will reopen on October 26 and is expected to serve as a model for sustainable ecotourism.

Cimatu, meanwhile, expressed disgust over the viral photos showing “Charlie” and “2018” inscribed on two separate corals found at the house reef of Bauan Divers Sanctuary (BDS) in Batangas.

“Corals are incredibly brittle and fragile, and they take a really long time to grow,” Cimatu pointed out.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration of the United States, some corals, such as massive corals, grow at just 0.3–2 cm per year.

Starting from larvae, it can take up to 10,000 years to form a coral reef, and 100,000 to 30,000,000 years to fully form larger coral reef structures like barrier reefs and atolls, it added.

Cimatu is hoping that no such similar incident occurred in nearby Verde Island Passage and the Apo Reefs, which are known sanctuaries of marine biological diversity.

He also said that dive operators guiding diving enthusiasts and tourists to the two marine sanctuaries in the area should “adopt sustainable ecotourism practices as early as now” so that it will “not suffer as much as Boracay has suffered.”

Particularly, the corridor of the Verde Island Passage and its embankments are characterized by high species biomass and abundance. Its western part, which is exposed to the West Philippine Sea, also has an area of highly diverse reefs where evolutionary distinct and globally endangered coral reefs can be found.

On the other hand, the Apo Reef is considered “the second largest connecting coral reef system in the world.” The site is also proclaimed as a protected area under the Natural Park category by the virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 868.

To lessen the adverse impacts of diving and snorkeling on the environment, the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) has started mainstreaming the implementation of the “Green Fins Approach.”

“The Green Fins Approach is a set of standards for environmentally sustainable diving and snorkeling tourism activities. It also includes a robust system of assessment criteria to identify the high-risk practices both above and below water,” said BMB Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez.

In 2017, the BMB issued Technical Bulletin 2017-13 on the Guidelines on the Implementation of Environmental Standards for Diving and Snorkeling in line with the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program, a national program which aims to comprehensively manage, address and effectively reduce the divers and threats of degradation of the coastal and marine ecosystems. ###

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Published: 10 October 2018

The Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) has adopted the proposed guidelines that aim to sustain and protect the world famous island once it reopens to tourists on October 26.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, who chairs the task force, said the guidelines were laid down to ensure the rehabilitation works done during the past six months would not be set to naught.

“We cannot and will not let the influx of people destroy Boracay again or undo all the improvements and innovations that we have introduced and will be introducing,” Cimatu said.

The DENR chief said the guidelines would be translated into resolutions by concerned government agencies and could also be adopted into ordinances by the local government.

The guidelines include a regulation on tourist arrivals and number of persons allowed to stay in Boracay, in accordance with the island’s carrying capacity.

A study on Boracay’s carrying capacity had been undertaken earlier by the DENR’s Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, together with the University of the Philippines at Los Baños, Laguna.

According to the study, the island’s daily carrying capacity is 54,945, broken down into 19,215 tourists and 35,730 non-tourists, which refer to residents, migrants and stay-in workers.

However, the same study showed that the island’s existing population of more than 70,700 had already exceeded the carrying capacity by almost 30 percent.

With non-tourists making up the bulk of the population, the task force has been evaluating a proposed relocation facility in mainland Aklan for island workers, as well as a system for their daily travel to and from Boracay.

The BIATF also agreed to the DENR’s requirement for installation of individual sewage treatment plants for beachfront establishments with 40 rooms and above, and for lodgings in other areas with 50 or more rooms.

Those with less than 50 rooms, meanwhile, could connect to sewer lines provided by the island’s two water concessionaires.

To decongest Boracay’s roads, the task force approved the use of electric vehicles, provision of sidewalks and prohibited obstructions on them, and identified separate routes for tourists and logistical vehicles with up to six wheels or a weight of one ton.

A moratorium on the construction of new establishments stays, while those with ongoing works can continue as long as they follow existing ordinances.

Water sports, including diving, have been suspended momentarily to allow the completion of assessment activities on the island’s marine biodiversity. Their resumption will later be regulated.

The BIATF likewise declared a zero-waste policy in Boracay, where no waste would be retained on the island, but collected daily for disposal at an approved facility on the mainland.

The body also declared a ban on casinos and online gambling on the island. ###

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Published: 08 October 2018

The Land Management Bureau (LMB) has urged the public to ignore and stop sharing a Facebook post claiming that P50.00 is all it takes to secure a land title, calling it “misleading and erroneous.”

The post claims that those who wish to have their lands titled only need to pay an application fee of P50.00 or a “package fee” of P185, which includes the “application fee, stamp and clearance.”

It even cited an official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the source of the information, probably to make the post look authentic.

LMB Director Emelyn Talabis said the information provided was “incomplete” even as she warned the public against sharing it.

“Sharing of information must be carefully verified to avoid misleading the public into having the wrong conclusion or generalization,” Talabis said.

According to Talabis, the standard land titling application fee of P50.00 had been increased to P60.00 since 2000 when then President Joseph Estrada issued an executive order raising fees and charges in government agencies by 20 percent.

She said the “package fee” of P185.00 mentioned in the FB post refers to “necessary fees such as documentary stamps, clearances, and affidavits from other agencies which must be paid and secured during or prior to the process of filing an application.”

At the same time, Talabis made some clarification as to the claim in the subject FB post that applicants do not have to pay as much as P20,000 to have their lands surveyed since land surveyors are already receiving salaries from government.

Talabis explained that the DENR has limited manpower and budget allocated for subdivision survey activities. This is why the agency offers the service on a “first come, first served” basis, she said.

She said those who cannot be accommodated by the agency may opt to have their lots surveyed by private geodetic engineers.

“Geodetic engineers have tariffs that they follow, and that payment for their services depends on the survey,” she pointed out.

Talabis added that other fees would have to be considered on some factors, such as the type of land and patent being applied for, as well as the mode of transfer of ownership like inheritance, donation, and purchase.

The applicant, she said, may also be required to pay other taxes or charges by other agencies involved in the titling process, such as the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Register of Deeds.

Aside from fees, Talabis said an applicant may also be required to submit documents like marriage and/or death certificates, original title, power of attorney, proof of publication, approved plan and technical description of the land, proof of occupation, and judicial forms.

Talabis said the LMB has been flooded with inquiries since the misleading information on land title processing fees started circulating on FB.

LMB is a staff bureau of the DENR responsible for administering, surveying, managing and disposing alienable and disposable lands. ###

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Published: 06 October 2018

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has seized a total of almost 86,000 board feet of forest products estimated to be worth P13.4 million from timber poachers and illegal sawmills operating in the Zamboanga peninsula.

It was the result of a series of raids conducted by Task Force DENR Enforcers Metro Manila (TF-DEMM) from August 18 to September 8.

TF-DEMM was formed by DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu with the task of ensuring strict implementation of environmental laws and regulations, and go after environmental offenders in the National Capital Region.

But Cimatu later on expanded the coverage of the task force to a nationwide scale, allowing it to tap DENR regional officials and personnel across the country to make sure complaints brought before them are swiftly addressed.

TF-DEMM executive director Jed Motus said the task force acted on intelligence reports that a licensed sawmill in Misamis Occidental was processing “hot” logs from timber poachers operating in Mt. Malindang, and sightings of illegal portable sawmills, locally called “bansuhan,” in Zamboanga del Norte.

Motus said the task force raided four sites where contraband were confiscated due to “spurious or absence of transport documents from its origin, and misdeclaration as to the type of tree species as contained in the Certificate of Timber or Lumber Origin.”

“There is no let up in DENR’s campaign against violators of environmental laws,” he said.

He assured the agency is strictly monitoring illegal transport of forest products in close coordination with law enforcement agencies like the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, and called on the public to report to his office any kind environmental crime at 755-3300 local 1209, 0917-136-7823 and 0999-516-2315 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

On August 18, the task force intercepted some P12 million worth of wood shipment at the Port of Looc in Plaridel upon the discovery of lawaan wood, an indigenous tree species banned for cutting, concealed in the 32 crates of documented lumber about to be shipped to Mandaue City.

The owner of the seized shipment, with a total volume 46,735 bd. ft., was traced to Avic Jaka Enterprises (AJK), a mini-sawmill operating in Calamba town in Misamis Occidental and whose license is issued to Calamba Vice Mayor Antonio Lawas.

Citing intelligence reports, Motus said poachers transport illegally-cut logs by rafting them through the Langaran River which runs downstream through the northeastern part of Mount Malindang National Park.

The entire shipment was seized in violation of Presidential Decree 705 as amended by Executive Order No. 277, Series of 1987, which prescribes the inclusion of machinery, equipment, implements and tools illegally used in the seizure of undocumented forest products.

The shipment was consigned to Cebu Universal Lumber Co. Inc. and was scheduled to reach the town of Subangko in Mandue City on August 19.

Covered by the Certificate of Lumber Origin (CLO) for the shipment were 6,106 pieces of flacata, mahogany, manguim, marang, and santol lumber.

CLO refers to the document the DENR issues to accompany the shipment or transport of lumber, showing the number of pieces, species volume, place of loading, conveyance used, date of transport, its source and its consignee.

The three-week operation also yielded the seizure of some 8,480 bd. ft. of illegally-cut timber, valued at P424,000, and the apprehension of a certain Venancio Cueno who was caught illegally cutting trees inside the ancestral domain of the Subanen Tribe in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte on September 1.

The task force likewise seized the 6x6 truck and a mini backhoe found inside Cueno’s property, where the hot logs were discovered.

On September 3, the TF-DEMM—with support from the 42nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and the local police— intercepted abandoned hot logs worth P437,000 while awaiting transport at a coastal area of Barangay Panganuran in Subuco, Zamboanga del Norte.

The logs, consisting of yakal, red and white lawaan with a total volume of 19,000 bd. ft. were classified as threatened wood species and are banned for cutting under DENR Administrative Order 2007-01 issued on January 22, 2007.

Another contraband, measuring 11,668 bd. ft of undocumented gmelina and mahogany lumber valued at P583,397, was seized by TF-DEMM on September 4. It also confiscated three units of portable bandsaws owned a certain Llyod Llorente at Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte. ###

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Published: 05 October 2018

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu proudly announced that the Philippines has always been in full compliance with the Montreal Protocol since it ratified in 1991 the global agreement to protect the ozone layer from chemicals referred to as ozone-depleting substances (ODS).

According to Cimatu, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is considered as one of the most successful multilateral environmental agreements in history because it enjoys the full support and cooperation of countries like the Philippines.

“The Montreal Protocol has 197 state signatories, and I can say that the Montreal Protocol owes its success to countries like the Philippines, that for three decades, has been consistently cooperative and compliant to the targets and schedules it set to phase out ODS around the world,” Cimatu said in his opening message, which read by Undersecretary Jonas Leones during the annual Technical Forum on the Promotion of Alternative Substances and Natural Refrigerants for Ozone Layer and Climate Protection held in Quezon City last Friday.

In 1987, the Philippines joined the rest of the world in adopting the landmark global agreement to protect the ozone layer by stopping the production and consumption of ODS. Four years later, in 1991, the country successfully completed the ratification of the Montreal Protocol.

Cimatu said that from 1991 to 2010, the country has fulfilled its commitment of phasing out the first batch or group of ODS in the manufacturing and servicing sectors.

In 1996, the Philippines phased out carbon tetrachloride or CTC and methyl chloroform. After three years, it ended the production and consumption of halon, a chemical compound formerly used in firefighting.

Also in 1999, the country phased out chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) variants—CFC-13, CFC-114, CFC-115—used in various industries as refrigerant, propellant, solvent and cleaning agent.

Appliances, such as refrigerators and airconditioners, using CFC-11 were totally banned in 2005. Non-quarantine pre-shipment methyl bromide was phased out in 2009, while cars having airconditioners with CFC-12 were prohibited to be registered since January 2010.

Cimatu said the Philippines is currently focused on phasing out the supposed last batch or group of ODS—the hydrochlorofluorocarbons or HCFCs, which phaseout schedule spans for 27 years from 2013 to 2040.

“Nevertheless, the country has made good with its implementation and has complied with the 10 percent import reduction since 2015, a target set to be achieved up to year 2019,” Cimatu said.

Every year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources—through its Environmental Management Bureau—organizes a technical forum to give stakeholders and partners updates on the latest developments in the Montreal Protocol.

The annual forum, held recently in observation of International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, also serves as a venue to learn the status of the country’s implementation of the ODS Phaseout Program.

During the forum, experts on the field presented the different alternatives to HCFC use, particularly in refrigeration, airconditioning, foam blowing, fire suppression and servicing.

There was also discussion on the significant development in the Montreal Protocol, which is the Kigali Amendment that was adopted by the parties to the original protocol in 2016 in the African state of Rwanda.

The Kigali Amendment aims to bring about a global phase down of poweful greenhouse gases hydroflourocarbons or HFCs, which could also mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. ###

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Published: 02 October 2018