Press Releases

Region XI’s MGB and EMB identify sites for Mercury Recovery Facilities in Naboc River

3 EMB MGB inspection Naboc River website L

The Mining and Environment Committee of the Naboc River Rehabilitation Technical Working Group (TWG) has conducted site identification for the installation of the 2,000 square meter-mercury recovery facilities within Brgy. Naboc and Brgy. Babag, Monkayo, Compostela Valley.

The said facilities will be used to recover mercury from the dredged materials prior to disposal of Sand and Gravel. The dredging of the Naboc River will commence in October this year.

Following the consultation from the Barangay Units, the said committee was able to identify seven (7) sites considering the significant factors such as the areas’ distance from the dredging site and its accessibility and distance from the community. There will be 1 recovery facility (RF) for each RIver Quarry Block (RQB).

The Mining and Environment Committee is being chaired by the Mining and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and the Environment Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-XI). Along with other committees, they are tasked to formulate the Naboc River Rehabilitation Master Plan.

The rehabilitation of Naboc River is one of the priority programs of Secretary Cimatu after President Rodrigo Duterte stated in his SONA last July 2017 the ill condition of the river caused by Mercury, Cyanide and fecal coliform contamination. A Memorandum of Agreement for the dredging, quarrying, and rehabilitation of Naboc River was signed last July 16, 2019, attended by DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, DILG Undersecretary for Operations Epimaco V. Densing III, Compostela Valley Provincial Governor Jayvee Tyron L. Uy, and DPWH-XI Regional Director Allan S. Borromeo.

A month after the MOA signing, a Joint Special Order creating the said TWG was also signed by Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Eastern Mindanao and DENR-XI Regional Executive Director Ruth M. Tawantawan and Comval Governor Jayvee Tyrone L. Uy. #LihokAlangSaNaboc #TayoAngKalikasan

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40 DENR-XI provincial employees attend ENR Basic Course

4 40 DENR XI Provincial Employees attend ENR Basic Course

A total of 40 selected employees from the provincial offices of Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region XI are currently attending the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Basic Course being held at Sunnypoint Hotel. This course will run from September 10-16, 2019.

To equip the employees with basic knowledge and deeper understanding about the Department, different environmental laws that are being implemented and programs that it upholds, the training course is in line with DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu’s goal to strengthen DENR’s Provincial and Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (PENROs and CENROs) as they are the Department’s frontliners in terms of implementing its programs and execution of different environmental laws.

Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Eastern Mindanao and Regional Executive Director Ruth M. Tawantawan encouraged all the participants to listen to all the discussions as this is an opportunity to further enhance their knowledge and become efficient employees of the Department and valuable citizens in the society.

“You have the responsibility to know by heart all our policies, the laws that we are implementing and most especially the priority programs of our Secretary,” Tawantawan said.

On the other hand, Focal Person for Region XI ENR Courses Kristiansen J. Ortanez said during his message that Secretary Cimatu has created a mobile training team to go to all the CENRO’s in the country and conduct a comprehensive ENR frontline and basic courses as part of DENR’s mandate.

With its aim to also re-orient the employees on DENR’s mandate, vision, mission, priority programs and projects, Assistant Regional Executive Director for Management Services Atty. Ma. Mercedes V. Dumagan discussed to the participants about DENR’s organizational structure, core values and the 10 priority programs of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, PDP and SDGs.

 

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DENR-XI conducts 1st ENR Frontline Course

5 DENR XI Conducts 1st ENR Frontline Course

In line with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu’s goal to strengthen DENR frontliners, DENR-XI conducts its first Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Course for DENR personnel at Sunny Point Hotel, Davao City from September 2-6, 2019.

DENR-XI’s Assistant Regional Executive Director for Management Services Atty. Ma. Mercedes V. Dumagan welcomes the participants with a message reminding everyone to give their hundred percent attention because this will help them become better employees.

“It is the goal of the management to provide responsive learning opportunities for each DENR employee,” she said.

On the other hand, Assistant Secretary for Field Operations-Eastern Mindanao and Regional Executive Director Ruth M. Tawantawan said that this is the first time that the region is holding this kind of seminar.

“Our Secretary would want all DENR employees be equipped with knowledge and deeper understanding about the mandates of the agency. Learners should be a role model so set yourself as a good example to your colleagues, subordinates, and even in the community where you are living because good governance and efficient and effective public service is also President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s mandate,” Tawantawan stressed.

The 5-day course is participated in by employees from the Community and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Offices (PENROs and CENROs) mostly administrative and field rank-and-file personnel. The course aims to train, capacitate, orient and re-orient the employees on DENR’s mandate, vision, mission, priority Programs and Projects, and basic ENR services.

#TayoAngKalikasan

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DENR XI co-implements CLOA distribution to farmers

Department of Environment and Natural Resources-XI (DENR-XI) participates on the compassed Mindanao-wide Turnover & Distribution of Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries last August 2, 2019 in Davao City.

The DENR is one of the partner implementors of the said program by jointly identifying, together with the Department of Agrarian Reform, specific properties that may be covered under the Land Acquisition and Distribution component of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform (CARP).

DENR also issues a certification that the tract of land is within an area classified as alienable and disposable. In view of R.A. 6940, the DAR shall only cover, and, therefore, require the foregoing certification on lands which have been classified as alienable and disposable before 16 April 1960.

Further, DENR continuously supports the government on its pursuit of helping farmers and lifting the country’s farming industry.

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DENR-XI pushes for stricter enforcement of Clean Water Act

With its mandate to address environmental issues that contribute to the degradation of the nation’s coastal and marine ecosystems, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-XI) is strictly implementing Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 as one of its priorities together with the Clean Air Act and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

With the on-going rehabilitation of Manila Bay, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said that stricter enforcement of RA 9275 is the key to addressing water quality issues and other environmental problems not only in the historic bay but in all the rivers and other water bodies in the country.

During the recent Pre-SONA on Climate Change event held in Davao City, Cimatu said in an interview that he wants to have communal septage facilities in the city’s coastal informal settlements to help minimize the presence of coliform in the coast.

“As long as the settlers are defecating there, there is coliform,” he said.

In Region XI, DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is tasked to monitor coliform levels in the rivers and coasts through its monitoring stations along Davao River and Davao Gulf.

EMB-XI has established 25 monitoring stations in Davao Gulf from Davao del Sur area to Davao del Norte area while there are also 17 monitoring stations established along the Davao River.

Assistant Secretary for Field Operations Eastern Mindanao and DENR-XI’s Regional Executive Director Ruth M. Tawantawan said that aside from the regular monitoring of Davao Gulf and Davao River, the Department has also taken initial action in addressing the sanitation of the Davao Gulf as EMB-XI will designate it as a Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) this year.

“The plans of rehabilitating Davao Gulf is part of Secretary Cimatu’s priority in protecting the marine and coastal ecosystem,” Tawantawan said.

Pursuant to Section 5 of Republic Act 9275 known as The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is mandated to designate WQMA.

The objective of the WQMA is to protect, through stakeholders collaboration, the water body and its tributaries by keeping their water quality within the Water Quality Guidelines or Criteria conforming to the water body’s classification or even improve the quality to higher classification. A WQMA Action Plan will be prepared in order to address water quality issues and problems in the area and later result to the improvement or better water quality of the said water body.

“Along with these initiatives, we are also one with the City Government on its plans in establishing sewerage treatment systems in the City. This is one of the City’s projects that we would want to prioritize and to pursue,” Tawantawan added.

During Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio’s State of the City Address (SOCA) last October 2018, she suggested to put focus in building and operating a septage treatment facility.

“As we continue to improve, rehabilitate and build new drainage systems, we shall compliment this with the creation of the sewerage treatment facilities all over the city. We will continue to study on how to best build the sewerage treatment systems to ensure the city’s compliance to waste water regulations,” Mayor Duterte said.

This proposal is included in the IM4Davao which is a 27-year Infrastructure Modernization Plans that contains a proposed short, medium and long-term high priority projects for Davao City with an estimated cost of PhP 298.4 billion. At present, there is an on-going feasibility study for the entire region which is being conducted by the National Economic Development Authority.

The City has already identified 6 sites for the establishment of sewerage treatment facilities. The location of “Area A” that is included in IM4Davao’s priority project is within the vicinity of Magsaysay Park that covers the districts of Poblacion and Agdao.

The plant will serve a population of 370,000 people with a treatment capacity of 100,000 cubic meters per day.

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