PNoy's stand on RH, RP bills lauded

LEGAZPI CITY, April 23 (PIA) -- President Aquino fully deserves congratulations for his unequivocal endorsement of the enactment of the reproductive health and responsible parenthood bill (House Bill No. 4244) during the graduation rites of the University of the Philippines on Palm Sunday, according to Albay I District Rep.Edcel Lagman

Lagman said the President's stand is the “correct and conscientious thing to do”.

He said the President’s statement that his steadfast commitment to the controversial measure is at the risk of excommunication is yet his strongest declaration against the Catholic hierarchy’s opposition to the measure.

Lagman added the resolute and courageous stance of the President is a magna cum laude statement which he could elevate to summa cum laude status by categorically certifying to Congress the bill as a priority measure.

The allied advocacies for reproductive health and responsible parenthood have the following common salient features, freedom of informed choice; no demographic or population target is espoused; poverty reduction or alleviation is a principal agenda; voluntary family planning based on freedom of informed choice is promoted; all kinds of family planning methods from the natural to the artificial which are legal, medically safe and effective are made accessible to acceptors; and abortion remains to be prohibited and penalized. (MAL, PIA V)

“Adopt-A-Creek for Earth Day”, DENR urges Bicolanos

LEGAZPI CITY, Apr. 23 (PIA) --- As the whole country marks the observance of Earth Day on April 24, 2011, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources enjoins all Bicolanos to mobilize and sign up for local Adopt-An-Estero project in their respective areas.

“We are celebrating the 41st year of Earth Day this April with the theme ‘Earth Day Every Day’ which aims to enlist a billion acts of green worldwide, hence, as part of this global commitment, the DENR is also urging citizens to do their share and adopt an estero,” DENR Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada explained.

Director Fragada cited a previous directive by Environment Sec. Ramon Paje to field officials for them to initiate their own adopt-an-estero scheme in the provinces as the impetus for the highlight of this year’s Earth Day event.

He said the DENR through Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) had identified at least ten creeks in six provinces as target areas. “Eleven large industries already adopted these esteros and initially laid down plans for the simultaneous clean up on April 25, 2011,” said EMB Regional Director Fernando Quililan in a report submitted to RED FRagada.

Director Quililan further stated that the industries are interested in improving the condition of the waterways which have become threats to public health and safety because of pollution.

Since March, the DENR has inked memorandum of agreements with industries for the adopt-an-estero program. In Albay, Sawang Creek will be adopted by ALINDECO, Palanog River by Goodfound Cement Corp., Yawa River by Sunwest Corp.; Camarines Sur has Sagop Creek adopted by Coca-cola Bottlers Philippens and Bimbo Construction and supply; Camarines Norte has Pasilakday Creek and Tugos Creek supported by Camarines Norte Small Scale Miners and Mineral Processors Service Cooperative; Sorsogon has Campsite Creek taken on by VLJ Farms, Catanduanes has Gogon River adopted by Catanduanes Power Generation, Inc. and Powerzone Petroleum Products Corp., Masbate has Tugbo River supported by DM Consunji Inc. and Rio Guinobatan adopted by Filminera Resources Corp.

The adopt-an-estero program of the DENR encourages the business sector, together with local government units (LGUs) and civil society, to clean up and maintain a particular estero. It is part of the agency’s massive cleanup and rehabilitation of tributaries of major water bodies.

According to Sec. Paje, the cleanup and rehabilitation of waterways or water bodies shall entail minimal cost to the sponsoring entity, and practically no cost at all to the government. The simplest and most feasible scheme, he said, is to set up garbage traps in certain places along an estero. The sponsoring entity could then hire people or tap the surrounding community to periodically collect the trapped garbage to prevent these from being drained into the receiving sea or larger rivers. (MAL/JSB, DENR V)


Feature: Convergence program in Sorsogon and Cam Sur, a leap for progress

The Sorsogon Convergence Initiative on Rural Development held on April 8, 2011 in Sorsogon City marked another leap for the progress of the province.

The three rural development agencies: the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) converge mainly to have a common operational ground for the collective interventions in terms of programs, projects, activities for implementation at the local level.

DA, with its agri-infra, production support, technology adoption, extension support and market development expertise, the DAR with its ability to organize agrarian communities, the DENR with its vast lands and environment and natural resource forte, and the local government of Sorsogon with the help of the district representatives, other agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs) will work as one in the implementation of rural development in the pilot municipalities of Casiguran, Castilla and the City Government of Sorsogon.

BFAR Regional Director Dennis del Socorro proposed a 49.8M budget for fisheries projects in the three pilot sites, highlighting the establishment of a Post-Harvest Technology Center in Sorsogon City which will cater the processing of sardines which is abundant in the province and other post harvest technology that would address food security and job generation for the sector.

Along this line, mariculture zone and other support to production are priority projects for the aquamarine enterprise development. Tilapia hatcheries in Sorsogon City and Casiguran will also be established to ensure local seed banks for fingerlings. Support to existing seaweed nurseries and seaweed input assistance will be undertaken in the pilot areas. Fishing gears will also be distributed to eligible fisher folk, bangus fingerlings and prawn post-larvae will be augmented for the qualified fish farmers while massive seeding of tilapia fingerlings in the communal bodies of water will be undertaken.

The DA-DAR-DENR national convergence initiative program launching in Sorsogon was graced by Philip Shull, Agricultural Counsellor of the United States Department of Agriculture together with DENR Secretary Ramon Paje; DA Undersecretary for Special Concerns Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, DAR Undersecretary Gerundio Madueňo; Senator Francis Escudero; Mr. Marriz Agbon, President of the Philippine Agricultural Development and Commercial Corporation (PADCC) and the National Focal Person of the National Convergence Initiative of PADCC; Congressman Salvador Escudero, III and Congressman Deogracias Ramos of the 1st and 2nd Districts of Sorsogon respectively; DA Regional Executive Director Jose Dayao; DAR Regional Director Ma. Celestina Tam; and DENR Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada.

The provincial government of Sorsogon was represented by provincial administrator Sally Lee and attended by the local chief executives of the 14 municipalities and one city in Sorsogon and several other stakeholders, cooperatives and awardees.

The signing of the memorandum of understanding for the convergence program was witnessed by the local chief executives of Sorsogon City, Casiguran and Castilla, namely: Hon. Leovic Dioneda, Ester Hamor and Olivia Bermillo, respectlively.

BFAR regional director Dennis del Socorro is optimistic that the fisheries sector thru the aquamarine enterprise development with its six year investment plan could also deliver positive impact for the fisherfolk in Sorsogon mainly by means of job generation and food security. Del Socorro added that this program will be successful with the maximized complementation of the rural development efforts with the LGUs especially in the development of local convergence on agro-enterprise using the “ridge to reef” approach synergized by its competent leaders, NGOs and private sector partners.

Meanwhile, similar priority projects have been proposed by BFAR-5 for the province of Camarines Sur which was the first province to launch the convergence initiative program last March 11, 2011 with additional demonstration of organic aquaculture and hapa-based tilapia hatcheries in some pilot municipalities. The prioritiy areas for Camarines Sur include Baao, Bula, Ocampo, Pili, Tigaon, Del Gallego, Lagonoy, Calabanga, Caramoan, Siruma and Presentacion. (MAL/NEN, BFAR V)