Cooperation w. DENR & local institutions
National and Local Institutions
Philippine Department of Environmental and Natural Resources
| DENR |
Kagawaran ng Kapaligiran at Likas Yaman
The DENR is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for governing and supervising the exploration, development, utilization, and conservation of the country’s natural resources.
(See Wikipedia – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Environment_and_Natural_Resources).
DENR Region VI – Western Visayas
The administrative division Region VI (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_Visayas) encompasses major parts of the Faunal Region Western Visayas, but its political borders are rather determined by languages spoken in the region. That is why the island of Negros is subdivided between two such regions. The administrative center of Region VI is Iloilo City.
Offices of the DENR Region VI – Western Visayas
For a list of offices with addresses click here: http://r6.denr.gov.ph/ (web page of DENR Region VI with offices and news). If you cannot find an office address there, ask a local taxi/tricycle driver or try a search with Google maps – https://www.google.com/maps – for name of office and town. Results may then show not only address and phone number, but sometimes also opening hours.
DENR offices responsible for the Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park
PASu (Protected Area Superintendent), chief officer of the DENR for the park, responsible to the PAMB (see below) and the concerned DENR Regional Executive Director. The PASu office is located in San Juan, north of San Roque, Libertad, Antique.
CENRO Culasi (Antique) and CENRO Boracay (Aklan).
Other local administrative units:
Local municipalities contribute with nature protection programs, establishing local reserves outside protected areas, like coastal marine reserves and reforestation areas. They also undertake own law enforcement operations through Bantay Gubat. The Bantay Gubat (forest guards) help in the protection and conservation of forest areas and natural resources, which are vital in the mitigation of climate change and biodiversity loss. The LGUs are also responsible for livelihood projects and disaster risk management.
Philippine National Police
We heartily acknowledge the help of local officers of the Philippine National Police who support the work of forest rangers through cooperative law enforcement operations.
(Sources: website-link, wikipedia-link)
PAMB – the Protected Area Management Board
is comprised of DENR and municipality officials, representatives of the local barangays, representatives of ethnic minorities, and other concerned groups like NGOs, who meet at quarterly intervals to discuss and decide about activities affecting the protected area and surrounding buffer zones.
NPBMC – the Northwest Panay Biodiversity Management Council
NPBMC was founded in 1999 in order to protect the remaining biodiversity-rich areas on the peninsula. It was instrumental in the proclamation of the Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park as a Protected Area. It is a multi-sectoral body made up of the local government units of the Northwest Panay Peninsula, national and local government agencies like the DENR, and non-governmental organizations.
(Sources: Wikipedia)
Senator Loren Legarda
Conservation efforts in the region for the sake of the people is efficiently promoted by the passionate environmentalist Senator Loren Legarda.
Senator Legarda’s aims include: protection of the environment for the benefit of the people; climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction; rights of women, youth and children; education; employment, rights and cultures of indigenous Philippine people. She initiated the majority of culture and environment-related laws in the Philippines, which established the country’s environmental and cultural policies.
(see wikipedia-link for her numerous awards and honours, sources: atenews-Link)
Former Governor of Antique Salvacion Perez
Another environmentalist who provides invaluable support for conservation is Former Governor of Antique Salvacion Perez popularly known as “Inday Sally” Perez.
She was the Governor of the province of Antique from 2001 to 2010, fighting successfully for alleviation of poverty and environmental issues, like the use of renewable energy instead of fossil fuel to mitigate climate change, and protection of water supply
(see wikipedia-link, sources: gmanetwork-link, scrimgeour-link, wikipedia-link, newsarchiv-link)
University of the Philippines
PhilinCon cooperates with the University of the Philippines with regard to scientific exchange and lecturing, especially with Nestor Yunque of the UP Visayas, Maragtas Amante of the UP Diliman, Quezon City, as well as Cristian Lucañas and David General of the UP Los Baños.
Gina Lopez
We would also like to mention Gina Lopez as a fighter for the environment and the people of the Philippines.
Gina Lopez initiated corporate social responsibility programs for the environment and for Filipino communities, as well as providing educational television for the people as a then managing director of the ABS-CBN foundation. She served as an interim secretary of the DENR under President Rodrigo Duterte. As such she promoted law enforcement with regard to mining companies after their massive violation of environmental laws, defended the rights of indigenous people, and promoted reforestation.
We thank all these persons and institutions for accepting the difficult task of doing Conservation in the Philippines, and their long-term support of PhilinCon’s activities on Panay!