OVP Environment Situationer

3-7 June 2013

RODOLFO D. ENALPE, JR.

PAJE R!ES P "L#$ %O &ELP RED $E FOOD 'AS%E

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje is calling on Filipinos to help cut down food waste and its corresponding ecological impact by developing habits that reduce the amount of food that goes to waste. Paje made the call as the country celebrates Environment onth this June! "ic"ing off with the observance of the #orld Environment $ay on June % under the global theme! &'hin". Eat. Save!( which is aimed at reducing food waste. )e underscored the need for every citi*en to rethin" his+her eating habits and be mindful of the way food is produced and consumed. &#henever possible! we should therefore be more selective in our food choices!( Paje said! urging the public to be &more environmentally, responsible consumers.( 'he environment chief noted that &some types of food! li"e beef! ta"e more resources to produce per "ilogram! than others.( Paje said people can reduce their so,called &foodprint( by patroni*ing food produced in an environmentally sound manner such as those grown organically or pac"aged using recycled materials to lessen waste dumped into landfills that generate methane! a relatively potent greenhouse gas. )e said organic food and locally,produced products &re-uire less emissions,producing handling and transport to bring to our tables.( & any of us give very little regard on the entire chain from food production! which re-uires so many raw materials that are often sourced from the environment! up to food consumption! where waste is often detrimental to environmental health!( Paje pointed out. 'he .nited Nations/ Food and 0griculture 1rgani*ation has said that 2.3 billion metric tons of food is wasted every year. 1n a daily basis! a seventh of the world/s population &goes to bed hungry!( while more than 45!555 children under the age of five die from hunger.

&'hese are facts to "eep in mind whenever we see food go to waste in farms! in mar"ets! in "itchens! and on the table!( Paje said. 0ccording to Paje! food production to feed the planet/s seven billion people uses a great deal of the earth/s resources! ma"ing it the single biggest driver of biodiversity loss. &6n pursuit of food! humanity devotes 75 percent of its freshwater consumption to food production! which also accounts for 85 percent of deforestation and 35 percent of greenhouse gas emissions!( Paje said. eanwhile! the $epartment of Environment and Natural Resources 9$ENR: has lined up numerous activities for this year/s Environment onth celebration and the agency/s 4;th founding anniversary on June 25. 0 wee",long 1rganic+Eco,Friendly Products Festival featuring herbal! non,timber forest products and other similar items made from recycled! indigenous or environment,friendly materials started at the $ENR central office in <ue*on =ity on June 3. 1n June ;! selected etro anila residents will ta"e a day trip to >a esa $am and the anila #ater filtration and sewerage treatment plants in ?alara! <ue*on =ity. 'he ne@t day! an e@pert from the =ollege of )ome Economics of the .niversity of the Philippines will hold a seminar at the $ENR on food waste reduction and food preservation techni-ues. 1n the same day! dealers! retailers and resellers of o*one,depleting substances or 1$S will undergo wor"shop on the safe handling of refrigerants. $uring the $ENR anniversary on June 25! a &Reduce Aour Foodprint( photo booth will be set up at the $ENR central office. ?eginning the third wee" of June! the rears of eight selected buses plying the Fairview,?aclaran route will feature an advertisement of &.so" o! ?uhay Bo!( a public awareness campaign on the negative health effects of air pollution by the $ENR/s Environmental anagement ?ureau! in partnership with the Philippine edical 0ssociation! the etropolitan anila $evelopment 0uthority! the >and 'ransportation 1ffice! and the Partnership for =lean 0ir. 'he advertisements will run for si@ months. From June 4% to 48! representatives from local government units 9>C.s: along the anila ?ay region will undergo a training wor"shop on environmental sanitation and septage management! in preparation for the establishment of sewerage systems or treatment plants for wastewater sources draining into major rivers.

Shopping malls showcasing best practices on solid waste management will be recogni*ed as &Solid #aste anagement =hampions( on June 48. 1n June 4D! teachers and students of the National Service 'raining Program! in partnership with >C.s! communities and the private sector will conduct a simultaneous cleanup of more than 455 waterways nationwide which have been adopted under the $ENR/s &0dopt,an,Estero+#ater ?ody( program. 'he $ENR and the $epartment of Energy are also e@pected to sign this month a Joint 0dministrative 1rder setting the guidelines on proper waste management by the lighting industry. 'he month of June was assigned as Environment onth through Proclamation No. 437! series of 2D88! in support of the #orld Environment $ay and &to instill environmental awareness and concern among various sectors of Philippine society.( E S1.R=EF httpF++www.denr.gov.ph+news,and,features+latest, news.htmlGstartH25 Tuesday, 04 June 2013 17:14

Arm( re)ervi)t) *oin +reen ,rive

=>1SE to a thousand personnel from the reserve units of the 0rmed Forces of the Philippines 90FP:! including R1'= cadets participated in environmental protection activities last ay 4;. $ubbed as >inis ?ayanihan &Balinisan at "ahandaan para sa maayos at ligtas na pamayanan!( more than 45 barangays in the Iisayas benefited from the cleanup efforts. 6n =ebu! %5 naval reservists from the 0FP =entral =ommand 9=entcom: joined residents! barangay tanods and local officials in removing garbage from drainage! canals! rivers and streets in barangay 'inago! =ebu =ity. =ol. Ceorge Fernande*! the commanding officer of the Naval Reserve =enter for Eastern Iisayas! said they chose barangay 'inago because it is where their office is located. 'inago barangay captain $omingo >ope* appreciated the Naval reservists for choosing their barangay as the recipient of their cleanup drive. 0nother 2J5 active personnel and reservists! including cadets from the Reserve 1fficer 'raining =orps 9R1'=: led by =ol. Edgardo ata participated in the street cleanup in barangay 0pas! =ebu =ity. 'hey were joined by the tanods! local officials and residents in the barangay. 0bout %5 reservists from the Philippine 0ir Force also joined the coastal and river cleanups in barangays 'ung"op and 'ulay! inglanilla town! southern =ebu! respectively.

&Environmental protection will always be a concern of the 0FP!( said ajor Cen. Roy $everaturda! =entcom =ommander. &#e/ve heard about stories of disasters caused by environmental degradation. 'hat is why we are committed to ta"e initiatives to conduct and participate in activities such as this. #hile we wor" hard to protect our people from threat groups! we also wor" hard to protect the environment!( he added. S1.R=EF httpF++newsinfo.in-uirer.net+J45453+army,reservists,join, green,driveEi@**4#iaF0h A =ebu $aily News 7F3% am K 'uesday! June Jth! 4523 PH GETS P720-M GERMAN GRANTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS 'he Philippines is set to receive a total of P745 million 9L2J.3 million: worth of grants from the Cerman government for the completion of two environmental projects aimed at improving the management of the country/s natural resources. 'his developed as Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje! represented by .ndersecretary anuel Cerochi! and C6M Regional $irector Philippines and the Pacific Robert Bressirer signed the agreements for the implementation of the National RE$$N System Philippines and the Protected 0rea anagement Enhancement in the Philippines 9P0 E: on #ednesday at the $ENR office in <ue*on =ity. Cerman 0mbassador to the Philippines $r. Joachim )eidorn witnessed the signing. ?oth projects! which are operational until 4527! will be funded by the Cerman Federal inistry for the Environment! Nature =onservation and Nuclear Safety through the Cerman Society for 6nternational =ooperation 9C6M:. &'hese projects support our commitments under various international environmental and multilateral agreements such as the =onvention on ?iological $iversity and the =oral 'riangle 6nitiative!( Paje said. )e addedF &'hese are all designed towards the sustainable management of our forests! our seas and all the biologically diverse resources that abound in them.( 'he National RE$$N System Philippines see"s to reduce greenhouse gas 9C)C: emissions from natural and human causes. RE$$N stands for Reducing Emissions from $eforestation and Forest $egradation. 4 4

'he project will benefit people in the upland communities dependent on forest products and other natural resources for livelihood. 'he total grant for the project is P475 million 9L%.3 million: and will be implemented until 0pril 4527 in the ?icol and Eastern Iisayas regions. P0 E! on the other hand! gets PJ%5 million 9LD million: and will be carried out nationwide until arch 4527 to ensure proper management of ;5 e@isting protected areas by improving the technical competencies and capacities of staff of the $ENR/s Protected 0rea and #ildlife ?ureau. 'he P0 E project will also see the establishment of at least 255 new terrestrial and marine par"s in selected "ey biodiversity areas or sites considered &internationally important( for biodiversity conservation by identified sta"eholders. Paje said the effective management of protected areas is &essential to improving protection of our biodiversity! generate income for affected communities! and ensure food security for all Filipinos.( For the two projects! the C6M will provide e@pertise on natural resource management for training courses and study tours and other forms of technical support! including e-uipment and supplies. 'he $ENR! for its part! is e@pected to shoulder other maintenance and operational costs and provide the necessary support staff. E S1.R=EF httpF++www.denr.gov.ph+news,and,features+latest, news.htmlGstartH8 Wednesday, 05 June 2013 18:02

PAJE- P& ON %RA$. %O A$&#EVE E#%# S%A% S "/ 2010

#ith comprehensive mining reforms in place! Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje e@pressed optimism that the country was on the right trac" toward achieving compliant status with the E@tractive 6ndustry 'ransparency 6nitiative 9E6'6: by 452%. Paje made this assessment barely two wee"s after the Philippines was accepted as a candidate country to join the E6'6! a globally developed standard that ensures more transparency and better governance of a country/s mining resources. 'he environment chief said the country/s inclusion to the list of E6'6 candidate countries! which is a step closer to reaching compliant status! was primarily due to President ?enigno 0-uino 666/s sincerity to reform the mining sector when he issued E@ecutive 1rder 9E1: No. 7D last year.

&'his latest development is a resounding affirmation by the international community of the administration/s determination to ma"e transparency and accountability as the centerpiece of its efforts to sustain the country/s economic development and advance inclusive growth!( Paje said. E1 7D see"s to balance important concerns on mining development in reinforcing environmental protection measures! promoting responsible mining! providing a more e-uitable revenue,sharing scheme and providing coordinative mechanisms among sta"eholders including local government units. &#hen President 0-uino issued E1 7D! the E6'6 ?oard must have read the move as an une-uivocal statement of the government/s intention to implement E6'6!( Paje said. .nder E6'6! all companies engaged in a country/s mineral sector report what they have paid to the government! and then the government reports what it has received. 'he reports from the companies and the government are compared by an independent auditor and ma"e up what is called the country/s &E6'6 report.( 'here are currently 43 E6'6,compliant countries in the world and 2; E6'6 candidate countries! or those that are wor"ing to reach compliant status. 6nitiated in 4554 by then ?ritish Prime inister 'ony ?lair at the #orld Summit on Sustainable $evelopment in Johannesburg! South 0frica! E6'6 is recogni*ed as a useful tool for resource,rich countries li"e the Philippines to better manage their natural resources and ensure that the e@tractive industries ma"e positive contributions to the improvement of economies of host communities during the development process. E

S1.R=EF httpF++www.denr.gov.ph+news,and,features+latest, news.htmlGstartH8 Wednesday, 05 June 2013 17:59

DENR NA1ES LA.E " &# AS 'A%ER 2 AL#%/ 1ANA!E1EN% AREA

'he $epartment of Environment and Natural Resources 9$ENR: has designated the >a"e ?uhi #atershed in ?icol region as a water -uality management area 9#< 0: in a bid to protect the water body that is home to the famous Osinarapan/! "nown as the world/s smallest commercially harvested fish.

'he designation of the 2%!%22,hectare watershed in the town of ?uhi! =amarines Sur as #< 0 was made through $ENR 0dministrative 1rder No. 4523,2; issued by Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje on ay 47! bringing the total number of #< 0s nationwide to 2;. &'he sheer number of #< 0s designated so far spea"s well of the governmentPs resolve to improve the conditions for inclusive sustainable growth by establishing efficient resource,use policies that promote high employment economy with social and territorial cohesion!( Paje pointed out. )e said the administrative order aims to protect and improve the water -uality of the la"e Q an important source of livelihood among local residents Q pursuant to Republic 0ct No. D47%! or the Philippine =lean #ater 0ct of 455J. 0side from the Osinarapan/! >a"e ?uhi is also inhabited by other marine organisms such as 6rin,irin! dalag! puyo! "otnag! burirawan! native catfish and tilapia. 'he forest surrounding the la"e serves as a sanctuary to at least 4% bird species! including the endemic Philippine pygmy woodpec"er! hanging parrot! blac",naped monarch! elegant tit and white,eared brown dove. 1ther fauna found in the forest are flying li*ards! s"in"s! monitor li*ards! civet cats! bats and the Philippine cynomolgus mon"ey. 0t present! the la"e is the main source of water supply for the National Power =orporation/s hydroelectric plant. 6t is also used by the National 6rrigation 0dministration to wet farmlands in the surrounding areas. Paje said designating #< 0s would enable concerned officials both in the national and local levels to ta"e focused interventions on specific water -uality issues relevant to a particular locality. .nder the =lean #ater 0ct! the $ENR! in coordination with the National #ater Resources ?oard! is mandated to designate certain areas as #< 0s using appropriate physiographic units such as watershed! river basins! or water resources regions to effectively enforce its provisions and improve the water -uality of water bodies. 'he law see"s to provide a decentrali*ed management system for water -uality protection and improvement of river systems. >i"ewise! the $ENR is tas"ed to create a governing board for each #< 0! which is chaired by a regional director of the $ENR/s Environmental anagement ?ureau 9E ?:. 6ts members include the mayor and governor of the concerned local government unit and representatives of relevant national government agencies! duly registered non,government organi*ations! and business and water utility sectors. 'he governing board serves as a planning! monitoring and coordinating body. 6t also reviews the #< 0 action plan prepared by the E ?.

.nder the #< 0! the $ENR and the sta"eholders address the water -uality problems! sources of pollution! and the beneficial use of the receiving water body. 'hey also determine what control measures to institute to effectively achieve water -uality objectives or improvements. 1ther #< 0s designated by the $ENR include San Juan River River System which traverses <ue*on =ity! anila and San JuanR 6mus,Alang Alang,Rio Crande River system! =aviteR Sinocalan,$agupan River System! PangasinanR ?alili River! ?enguetR Pinacanauan de 'uguegarao River! =agayan provinceR =alapan River System! 1riental indoroR $avao River System! $avao =ityR 'umaga River! Mamboanga =ityR and 'aguibo River! ?utuan =ityR arilao, eycauayan,1bando river system and areas within the >aguna >a"e $evelopment 0uthority/s in Southern 'agalogR the 'igum,0ganan watershed and the 6loilo,?atiano river system in 6loilo provinceR Silway River and the Sarangani ?ay in Ceneral Santos =ity in Sarangani province. E S1.R=EF httpF++www.denr.gov.ph+news,and,features+latest, news.htmlGstartH; Friday, 07 June 2013 18:25