24 NGP POs in Caraga Region get P20 million loan assistance from DENR, DSWD

BUTUAN CITY-Agusan del Norte – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office in Caraga Region and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) have entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the 24 Peoples Organization in Aguan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur in the implementation of the P20 million   Micro-enterprise Development of the government.

       The Agreement was formally signed by DENR 13 Regional Executive Director Atty. Felix S. Alicer, DSWD Regional Director Mita Chuchi Gupana-Lim and the respective chairpersons of the 24 people’s organizations in the three provinces of the region during a ceremony held at the Balangay Hotel recently.

         The funds will finance the different projects of the POs which maintain tree plantations under the expanded National Greening Program.

       “The national government through the DENR and the DSWD shall always endeavor to contribute to poverty reduction and empowerment through appropriate interventions to the poor and disadvantaged population in the upland and coastal communities”, RED Alicer said.

       DSWD Director Gupana-Lim said the agency has transferred its funds from its seed capital fund for micro-enterprising development program amounting to P 20 million to fund the different People’s Organization of its projects.

       These POs are, in Agusan del Norte - Consortia Agro Forestry Association Rubber Cuplump Trading project in Las Nieves, (P600,000);   Ibuan Agro-Forestry, Rubber Cuplumps Trading, Las Nieves (P1,300,000); Balungagan Farmers Association Inc. Falcata Trading, Butuan City (P500,000); Bitan-agan Upland Farmers Association, Inc. Cacao beans Buy and Beans Buy and Sell, Butuan City (P450,000); Simbalan Farmers Association Inc., Coffee Shop Establishment, Buenavista, (P450,000); Manila de Bugabos Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Cacao Beans Buy and Sell, Butuan City, (P450,000); Agusan del Sur—San Juan Tribal Indigenous Association, Bayugan, Rubber Cuplumps Trading, (P900,000); Tamaco Management of Peoples Organization, Bayugan, Cacao Beans Buy and Sell (P975,000); Calabuan Higaonon Farmers Organization, Esperanza, Coffee Beans Buy and Sell  (P750,000); Bakingking Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Esperanza, Rubber Cuplumps Trading (P825,000); Perez Sibagat Tribal Development, Esperanza, Rubber Cuplumps Trading (P630,000); Bagani Tribal Returnees Community Development Associatio, Bantolinao, Perez, Sibagat, Coffee Beans Buy and Sell (P1,275,000); Ago Magsaysay ARB Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Prosperidad, Rubber Cuplumps Trading (P1,050,000); Singanan Upland Farmers Producers Cooperative, Bunawan, Rubber Cuplumps  Trading (P1,500,000); WAMVIPO Agro-Forestry Development Association Inc., Loreto, Rubber Cuplumps Trading (P1,005,000); Desamparados Community Development and Forest Management Association, Inc, Talacogon, Rubber Cuplumps (P1,500,000); Surgeon del Sur—Tigpanalipod Nan Katunggan sa Magasaang, Cantilan, Green Crabs Production and Fattening (P675,000); Barangay Unite for Development of Aquamarine Sustainability, Bislig, Danggit Culture and Dried Danggit Production (P630,000); Active Native Development and Unite for Human Aquamarine Wealth, Hinatuan, Bangus Production (P900,000); Wakat CBRM Peoples Organization, Barobo,  Bangus Production, (P450,000) and Liatemco Integrated Cacao, Abaca and Rubber Farmers Association, Lianga Cacao Beans Buy and Sell trading (P1,035,000).

         The POs were compelled to submit quarterly progress and accomplishment report with photo documentation of their respective projects to the DENR. ###(HERZON GALLEGO)

The leaders of the 24 People’s Organizations pose with ASEC Atty. Michelle Angelica D. Go, RED Atty. Felix S. Alicer, ARD for Technical Services Samuel C. Danganan, ARD for Management Services Aime P. Lampad-Dela Peña, PENRO Jose Flavio V. Concha of Agusan del Sur, PENRO Rosendo A. Asunto of Agusan del Norte and PENRO Achilles Anthony C. Ebron of Surigao del Sur and the concerned CENR Officers and the DSWD-13 representatives after receiving their funding checks for their respective Agro-forestry Sustainable Projects in December 2019 at the DENR-13 Learning Center in Ambago, Butuan City.

DENR conducts environment assessment in Dapa, Siargao Is.

BUTUAN CITY – The “Task Force Siargao” of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Caraga region in coordination with its Environmental Management Bureau is ready to undertake its second wave of evaluation and assessment of environmental practices  in the tourist island of Siargao in Surigao del Norte. The task force which will involve 9 teams, will focus its operation in Dapa which is considered a commercial center.

          This was made certain during a meeting by Regional Executive Director Atty. Felix S. Alicer with the core group of the Task Force Siargao held at the DENR 13 Regional Training Center here on January 9, 2019. RED Alicer was assisted by the Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Samuel C. Danganan.

          RED Alicer said the task force will look into the compliance of establishments on environmental laws particularly PD 1586 known as Environmental Impact Statement System and other environmental management related measures, discharge permit under RA 9275, and other related environmental laws, rules and regulations.

          The Task Force Siargao holds its operation center at the PASu office in Dapa, Siargao Island.

          On March last year, the Task Force conducted assessment of 1,298 tourist establishment and homestay in General Luna, and found at least 391 establishments have violations on environment laws, rules and regulations. General Luna is famous for International Surfing and Game fishing competition.

          RED Alicer said these erring establishments were asked through a letter to comply with the regulations particularly on the 25-meter easement regulations. He said that he is interested on the number of the erring establishments and homestays that complied with the order to voluntarily dismantle structures that were found to have been constructed within the easement.### (By Herzon F. Gallego)

DENR 13 Regional Executive Director Atty. Felix S. Alicer and his Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Samuel C. Danganan examine the scope of operation and the organizational structure of "Task Force Siargao" which is expected to implement the second wave of operation in the tourist island shortly to ensure clean water, clean air and proper solid waste management in the area. The meeting was held at the DENR 13 Learning Center in Butuan City on January 8, 2020. (by HERZON GALLEGO, RPAO, DENR 13)

12 million Seedlings at NGP sites in Agusan del Norte hang on dry months

BUTUAN CITY – About 12 million tree seedlings planted by the Peoples Organization in more than 2,212-hectare sites of the National Greening Program (NGP) since 2011 are weathering the dry months in the Northwest side of Agusan del Norte.

The absence of rain in some parts of the Caraga Region has affected a large area of agricultural crops leaving the different people’s organizations engaged in the National Greening Program (NGP) with less option but to take necessary measures to sustain robust the more than 12 million tree seedlings which they have planted since 2011. 

“The farmers are trying to save the seedlings from the scorch of the sun since February this year when the area has experienced dry weather” CENRO of Nasipit Forester Alejandra B. Boiser said. “There is likely less chance of rains until October this year”, she said.

She said eight (8) peoples organizations (POs) in Nasipit are putting all efforts in the maintenance and protection of the five-year-old tree seedlings in their respective NGP sites. She added that there are sites with withered seedlings that must be replaced, thus, plantation activities at NGP site will resume next year. CENRO Boiser said the DENR had been tied up to maintenance activities this year owing to the cut in the NGP budget.

 
“Those planted seedlings at the Taguibo Watershed in Barangay Anticala, Butuan City have high priority in maintenance since the Butuan Water District draws its supply for the consumption of the 337,000 city residents. We are closely monitoring it,” she said.

CENRO Boiser, however, gave assurance that the survival of seedlings planted in the NGP sites in watersheds has good chances because of high humidity and despite absence of rain waters.

“The tree farmers may be particular on keeping away the foraging animals from destroying young seedlings but remained to be on high alert of any possible spark in the forest that may trigger forest fire and destroy the seedlings,“ CENRO Boiser said. 

So far the areas allotted to NGP by CENRO Nasipit have been planted with 12,694,902 seedlings of fruit trees and indigenous seedings such as narra, lauan, apitong and other cash crops like coffee and cacao in different NGP sites in Buenavista, Nasipit, Carmen and Las Nieves since 2011.

There are 1,353,988 tree seedlings being maintained by the eight peoples organizations on 2,211 hectares of open production forest land at the Taguibo Watershed. “The trees in the watershed are important to the water supply of Butuan and its adjacent towns” CENRO Boiser said.  Six other organizations of Manobo cultural people in the area have been given a total budget of P 11,106,840 in the seedling production of 313,200 tree seedlings of different kinds of fruit and indigenous trees planted on the 393 hectares production forest lands in Anticala, Butuan City.

By: Herzon F. Gallego