More than 300 volunteers showed up and took part in the clean-up of the Apagonanriver in Aparri, Cagayan on Monday, June 17, 2019, marking the start of the river’s rehabilitation.

Addressing the participants, DENR Region 2 Executive Director Atty. Antonio Abawagurged the local officials to pass ordinances supporting the rehabilitation of the 18-kilometer Apagonan River.

This, even as he warned businesses and residents to comply with environmental laws, or face the consequences of their non-compliance.

“I’m giving the business establishments and households along the riverbank six months to comply with environmental laws, particularly the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and Clean Water Act. Otherwise, we will issue notice of violations and file cases against those discharging their waste directly into the river,” Abawag said.

The regional environment chief has ordered the officials of  PENR Office- Cagayan to meet with the barangay officials to brief them on the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Philippine Clean Water Act to remind them of their roles and responsibilities under said laws.  He also instructed the provincial head to attend the Sangguniang Bayan sessions.

In July 2018, the DENR launched the RIVERS for Life Award, a nationwide search that will give recognition to individuals and institutions for their efforts in the conservation and protection of rivers.

Classified as Class C, the Apagonan River covers 10 barangays of Aparri.  

According to PENRO Ismael Manaligod, the Apagonan River is a breeding ground of both freshwater and marine species as it is connected to the estuary of the Cagayan River and the Babuyan Sea.

During the occasion, acting Mayor RiaCapiñahas committed to pass ordinances for the strict implementation of the solid waste management law.

“The rehabilitation of our Apagonan River is important, being one of the primary sources of income of the people of Aparri,” Capiña said.

A total of 102 sacks of solid waste were collected by the volunteers, representing different government agencies, non-government organizations, business sector, media and DENR employees.###

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Regional Releases

Published: 19 June 2019

Regional Executive Director (RED) Francisco Milla, Jr. of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) calls on the agency’s employees in Iloilo City to patronize the produce of local people’s organizations (POs) to help generate more income for the members of the POs.

Milla made the call during the opening of the “Tiangge sa DENR”, which he spearheaded on Monday (June 10, 2019) as part of the 32nd anniversary celebration of the department.

On display and for sale in the “Tiangge” are products made from recycled materials, handicrafts, as well as local produce such as fruits, vegetables and native foods. Photos above show (clockwise): 1. DENR-Region 6 Executive Director Francisco Milla, Jr. leading the ceremonial ribbon cutting to formally open the “Tiangge sa DENR”which will run for a week; 2. Display of recycled products and the famous handcrafted shawls from the town of Miag-ao; 3. Locally-grown bananas, chicharon and salabat; 4. RED Milla with other regional employees visit one of the booths selling native delicacies. ###

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Regional Releases

Published: 13 June 2019

Regional Executive Director (RED) Francisco Milla, Jr. of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) calls on the agency’s employees in Iloilo City to patronize the produce of local people’s organizations (POs) to help generate more income for the members of the POs.

Milla made the call during the opening of the “Tiangge sa DENR”, which he spearheaded on Monday (June 10, 2019) as part of the 32nd anniversary celebration of the department.

On display and for sale in the “Tiangge” are products made from recycled materials, handicrafts, as well as local produce such as fruits, vegetables and native foods. Photos above show (clockwise): 1. DENR-Region 6 Executive Director Francisco Milla, Jr. leading the ceremonial ribbon cutting to formally open the “Tiangge sa DENR”which will run for a week; 2. Display of recycled products and the famous handcrafted shawls from the town of Miag-ao; 3. Locally-grown bananas, chicharon and salabat; 4. RED Milla with other regional employees visit one of the booths selling native delicacies. ###

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Regional Releases

Published: 13 June 2019

Townfolk of Glan, Sarangani bid farewell to their adopted pawikan(left photo) they named “Aryana,” to mean “spotless lady”, as the 66-lbs. female Olive Ridley (Lepidochelysolivacea) is released back to the sea after almost a year of recovery under the care of NenaEbba (in striped blouse) who rescued her from a net of a fish trawler that anchored near her house in Barangay Burias, Glan in July 2018. DENR-Region 12 Executive Director NiloTamoria (in blue-white shirt) led the release in simple rites last May 23 as part of DENR’s sea turtle conservation program. Prior to her release though, Aryana was attached with a metal tag at its flipper (right photo) by wildlife officers for tracking purposes. At least 39,000 pawikanhatchlings had been released into the Sarangani Protected Seascape coastlines since 2015 from Sarangani’s three pawikanhatchery centers in Maitum, Maasim and Glan towns. Sea turtles play an important role in the marine food chain as their diet includes sea grasses and jellyfish, thereby keeping the marine ecosystem balanced and enables small marine organisms to thrive . ###

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Regional Releases

Published: 10 June 2019

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has released more than 500 hatchlings of marine turtle or pawikan in the waters of Saranggani Bay last May 16 at around 5:30 in the afternoon.

On hand to release the 528 hatchlings of Olive ridley((Lepidochelysolivacea) in Barangay Lumasal in Maasim, Saranggani province were DENR-Region 12 Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria, Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) of Kiamba, Forester Jesus Boja, Chief of Coastal Resource and Foreshore Management Section (CRFMS) Felix C. Robles and staff of municipal environment and natural resources office of Maasim.

On releasing the hatchlings, Tamoria called on the coastal communities of Saranggani to help in protecting and conserving their coastal areas and be responsible with their wastes.

“It is important that we take care of our marine ecosystem. I call on the communities to help us in protecting and conserving our coastal areas. Let us be responsible in managing our respective wastes. There are several reported stranding of pawikan and this indicates that there is something wrong with our coastal environment,” Tamoria said.

He also explained the reason for the release of the hatchlings in the late afternoon was to provide them a greater chance of survival. “Accordingly, only one (1) percent of the released sea turtles is expected to survive into adulthood,” he said.

Belonging to the species of Olive ridley,the baby pawikans, all 528,were hatched at the MaasimPawikan Hatchery in Maasim town, constituting the biggest number of hatchlings ever recorded since the hatchery’s establishment in 2015.

Tamoria also told the local residents who came to witness the activity that the journey of the young sea turtles is “not easy” as these are threatened not only by the presence of predators in the ocean but also by pollution and plastic wastes. “They may be eaten by big fishes and sharks, or they may ingest plastic waste thrown into the ocean,” he said.

For his part, Robles said that the female pawikanusually returns to its birthplace to lay eggs in the next 20 to 25 years.

“We let pawikan hatchlings to crawl into the sea. This will help them remember where they come from. They imprint on the unique magnetic field of their birthplace and the female ones use this information to return to their birthplace to nest,” Robles said.

The shores of Barangay Lumasaland the nearby communities are known nesting sites of sea turtles.

Olive ridley, also known as the Pacific ridley, is the second smallest and most abundant species of sea turtles in the world. Itthrives in warm and tropical waters, primarily in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. As to its conservation status, Olive ridley is vulnerable to extinction thus its possession and deliberate killing is punishable under Republic Act No. 9147, also known as the Philippine Wildlife Resources Protection and Conservation Act.###

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Regional Releases

Published: 25 May 2019