Press Releases

Rescued serpent eagle released in Aurora forests

 
 
A concerned citizen from Aurora province recently turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here an endemic Philippine serpent eagle scientific Spilornis holospilus.
 
Marivic Santos, head of the DENR Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Dingalan, reported that Ryan Casim of Barangay Florida in Maria Aurora town caught the serpent eagle in their backyard and immediately reported the incident to environment authorities.
 
“The bird was temporarily kept under our custody, since its health condition was not in good state to be immediately released to the wild,” the CENRO chief explained.
 
As the bird fully recovered, Santos said they finally released the rescued and rehabilitated Philippine serpent eagle within the Dibalo Pingit Zabali Malayat Watershed Forest Reserved in So. Dipanamianan, Barangay Pingit, Baler, Aurora on February 2.
 
According to studies, the Philippine serpent eagle is a relatively small raptor that lives in Luzon and Mindanao islands. It is usually found in forest clearings, open woodlands, and sometimes in cultivated lands with scattered trees.
 
Based on the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the conservation status of this bird species is categorized as “Least Concern,” which means that it has a lower risk of extinction.
 
DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr. noted that the presence of the Philippine serpent eagle was an indication of healthy forest areas in Central Luzon, particularly in Aurora.
 
“Our biodiversity conservation and forest protection efforts bring positive outcomes in preserving the habitat of this endemic bird species,” Moreno said.
 
He appealed to the public to immediately report to environment authorities any wildlife sighting and encounter to avert potential danger and threat to their population.
 
“We also encourage the public to remain vigilant in reporting any illegal trading and online selling of wildlife to help us penalize perpetrators who pose threat to our biodiversity and our environment,” Moreno ended.
 
Sighting and turn-over of wildlife, as well as other concerns on environmental violations, may be reported through the DENR hotline number: 0945-368-5303. (-30-)
Details
Parent Category: News & Events
Category: Press Releases

DENR donates trash boats to boost Manila Bay rehab in Bulacan

 
 
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here recently donated mini trash boats to five municipalities in Bulacan in an effort to boost cleanup and rehabilitation activities of major river systems directly draining to the greater portion of the Manila Bay.
 
Emelita Lingat, chief of the DENR office in Bulacan, reported that four mini trash boats were given to the City of Meycauayan, while the City of Malolos and towns of Calumpit, Hagonoy, and Paombong received one unit each.
 
“The distribution of these trash boats would be supplemental in our cleanup efforts, as well as in our waterway patrolling and monitoring activities especially in the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System,” Lingat said.
 
Said trash boats would be added to 13 motorized banca, which had been doled out to cities of Meycauayan and Malolos and towns of Marilao, Obando, Paombong, and Hagonoy since 2018.
 
For his part, DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr. noted that the endowment of trash boats to local government units (LGUs) would not only fast-track collection of floating trash in river systems connected to the Manila Bay, but would likewise strengthen the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act in each municipality.
 
“The magnitude of our waste problem can only be minimized through our collective efforts with the LGUs and the citizens. Local communities play a critical role in environmental sustainability, as waste management starts at home,” Moreno ended.
 
Since the Manila Bay cleanup and rehabilitation program commenced on 2019, the DENR here has collected more than 85,600 tons of wastes from 3,900 cleanup activities conducted in Bulacan.
 
The province is part of the 190-length of the Manila Bay area in Region 3. Of this, 43-kilometer is part of the coastline of Bulacan. (-30-)
Details
Parent Category: News & Events
Category: Press Releases

DENR backs orgs’ move to reforest Abacan Watershed in Angeles City

 

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here supports the collective move of the Pampanga Press Club (PPC), the Abacan River and Angeles Watershed Advisory Council, Inc. (ARAW-ACI) and the Kapatirang Aetas ng Angeles-Porac para sa Kalikasan at Agrikultura (KAAPKA) to reforest a portion of the more than 5,000-hectare Abacan Watershed in Barangay Sapang Bato, Angeles City.

With the newly-forged partnership among the organizations, DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr. noted that their three-year reforestation program would boost efforts to reforest watersheds within the Pampanga River Basin, which would ensure sustainable water supply not only in the province but in other areas in Central Luzon.

“Reforestation can be equated to people investing in the future. We need to protect our watersheds, as they provide us potable and quality water supply,” he said, adding that planting and growing trees could also downscale the looming threats of the global climate crisis.

In Central Luzon, there are nine critical watersheds and 146 watershed forest reserves that supply water to over 26 million residents of Central Luzon and Metro Manila. Through the Enhanced National Greening Program of the DENR, over 128,000 hectares of forest plantations have been established in the region since 2011.

Moreno applauded the efforts of the organizations to plant trees in the one-hectare plantation area adopted by the PPC in Sitio Sapang Bato, where 300 seedlings of bamboo and Narra were provided by the DENR.

Said adoption falls under the Adopt-a-Watershed Program being implemented by the ARAW-ACI, which aims to enlist the support of partner organizations to ensure the sustainable supply of water in Angeles City and in the province of Pampanga, while providing livelihood to the Aetas who serve as stewards of established plantations in the 560-hectare planned watershed.

Under the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) among these three organizations, the PPC acts as the project sponsor, who will fund the project and will be in charge of supplying seedlings and fertilizer, as well as its sustainable water supply.

KAAPKA will look after the day-to-day upkeep of area, while the ARAW- ACI will oversee the implementation of the project and coordinate with the local government of Angeles City and the Bases Conversion Development Authority.

Moreno served as the witness to the signing of the MOA, with PPC President Noel Tulabut, ARAW-ACI President Renato Tayag, Jr. and KAAPKA President Fred Pan as signatories. (-30-)

Details
Parent Category: News & Events
Category: Press Releases

DENR renews call to protect Sierra Madre to fight climate change

 
 
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has renewed its call to protect the more than 500-kilometer Sierra Madre Mountain Range (SMMR) to avert the impact of the world’s rising temperature and fight climate change.
 
During his recent visit in Aurora province, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu stressed the need to strengthen forest protection in the SMMR, which serves as Luzon’s natural barrier against strong typhoons that reduces wind speeds of potentially destructive storms.
 
“Prioritize the protection and conservation of Sierra Madre. Saving this mountain range is equivalent to saving the lives of many people from damage and destruction brought by natural calamities,” Cimatu said.
 
Known as the longest mountain range in the country, SMMR covers a total land area of about 1.6 million hectares that serves as home to the largest remaining tract of old-growth tropical rainforest. Its biological importance goes beyond its intact forest, since it is also considered a megadiverse ecosystem, as it homes hundreds of wildlife species that is endemic in the Philippines.
 
Paquito Moreno, Jr., executive director of DENR in Central Luzon, said forest protection and biodiversity conservation programs have been among the priority programs of Cimatu, and these have been intensified in the provinces of Aurora, Nueva Ecija and Bulacan, where the SMMR traverses.
 
“The deployment of 130 forest rangers and protection officers in these areas not only augment our patrolling efforts, but also help us guard 15 protected areas and 21 watersheds within the SMMR,” he said, adding that the office likewise strengthened its drive against unregistered chainsaws in support of Cimatu’s marching order of protecting standing trees in the forest areas to save the country’s remaining natural resources.
 
Moreno reported that the DENR put up eight forest product monitoring stations strategically located in the entry and exit points of major routes of forest products in Pangasinan-Zambales-Bataan-Pampanga-Bulacan-Manila Road, Bataan-Pampanga Road, Manila North Road via Mc Arthur Hiway, Tarlac-Sta. Rosa Road, Quirino-Aurora Road, Cabanatuan-Bongabon Road, Dingalan-Cabanatuan Road, Dingalan-Gen. Nakar Road, and San Miguel and Norzagaray roads in Bulacan.
 
The DENR here likewise intensified its information, education and communication program on the importance of SMMR’s forests and biodiversity, and launched with the USAID the Protect Wildlife program in 2018 to combat wildlife trafficking.
 
Moreno appealed to the public to remain vigilant in reporting to the nearest DENR office in their area any destructive activities within the SMMR to prevent unscrupulous groups from conducting illegal logging, poaching and encroachment.
These illegal activities and other environmental violations may be reported through the DENR Region 3 hotline number: 0945-368-5303. (-30-)
Details
Parent Category: News & Events
Category: Press Releases

DENR donates boat to Army to boost protection of Aurora coasts, forests

 
 
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here recently donated a motorized boat to the 91st Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army in an effort to boost patrolling and monitoring efforts in the coastal and forestland areas of Aurora.
 
Paquito Moreno, Jr., executive director of the DENR in Central Luzon, said the Php 500,000-worth vessel would be supplemental in the heightened environmental protection efforts in the region, particularly in the forestland areas of Aurora which has been considered as among the hotspot areas for illegal logging.
 
“The turn-over of this vessel to our colleagues in the Army would augment our groundworks to fulfill the marching order of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu of preventing the cutting of trees in our forests, protected areas and watersheds,” Moreno said, adding that this move would also avert unscrupulous groups from illegally transporting forest products by floating them down the river systems and other waterways.
 
He stressed that with the strong collaboration with the Army, Philippine National Police and other environment authorities, the number of apprehended forest products in Region 3 has significantly decreased from more than 218,000 bd. ft. in 2020 to only 79,300 bd. ft. in 2021.
 
“This figure is a strong manifestation that even with limited forest rangers patrolling and monitoring our forest areas, our sustained efforts and strong alliance with partner agencies will facilitate extensive guarding and defense of our environment and natural resources from any destructive activities,” Moreno ended.
 
For his part, 91st IB Commanding Officer Ltc. Reandrew Rubio expressed his gratitude for this gesture of support they received from the DENR, noting that this would not only strengthen their environmental protection efforts, but would also aid their rescue and relief operations during calamities.
 
The turn-over ceremony was witnessed by Cimatu during his visit in the DENR provincial office in Aurora.
 
Central Luzon has a total forestland area that is equivalent to 942,387 hectares. Of the seven provinces in the region, Aurora is second with highest forestland area of 191,946 hectares. (-30-)
Details
Parent Category: News & Events
Category: Press Releases