The Community of Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Piñan, Zamboanga del Norte headed by Dr. Adelaida R. Borja thru its Monitoring and Enforcement Section has installed a billboard/signage to raise awareness on Presidential Decree 705 as amended at the community of Barangay Sawang, Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte on October 7, 2022.
The billboard sign features, in the local visayan dialect, Section 77 and Section 82 of PD 705 as amended particularly on illegal cutting and transport as well as illegal survey of timberlands.
This activity was to address the report of concerned citizens regarding the illegal survey conducted in the Mangrove area last October 6, 2022.
CENRO Borja coordinated with the BLGU of Sawang to discuss these issues and together with the community constructed and installed the signages along the road and in the barangay hall.
The BLGU has committed to constantly coordinate with the office to ensure that these illegal activities be resolved.
The In-Charge, Office of the Regional Executive Director Ronald D. Gadot presided today's meeting in compliance with the directives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to review all existing Memorandum of Agreements (MOA) for the use of resources in protected areas into a Special Use Agreements in Protected Areas (SAPA), and in conformity with the provisions of RA 7586, as amended. by RA 11038.
SAPAs are issued to enable productive use in a sustainable manner of our protected areas as defined under the National Integrated Protected Areas Act of 1992 while maintaining its status as a protected area.
Representatives from the LGU of Zamboanga City, TIEZA COO, DOT 9, as signatories of the said MOA, and some DENR technical personnel attended the meeting.
Concerned agencies exercising jurisdiction and their respective positions over the Great and Little Sta. Cruz Islands focusing on the conservation, protection and management of the biodiversity therein were discussed.
Two Long Tailed Macaque (Macaca fascicularis) were retrieved by personnel from the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) of Ramon Magsaysay at Barangays Buenavista and Locuban, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur on September 21, 2022.
This was the result of reports relayed to CENRO RM by the keepers regarding the presence of these wild animals in their custody and their desire to turn it over to the DENR.
RM CENR Officer Geoffrey Zayas immediately dispatched a team to investigate and retrieve the monkeys.
Based on initial investigation conducted by the team, Mr. Bonifacio Bonquiao, of Purok San Francisco, Buenavista, Pagadian City, said that the animal’s original owner, from the same barangay, died a year ago and the poor animal was transferred into their custody. But because the monkey inflicted harm to one of their neighbor’s child, they decided to turn-over the animal to our office for their safety.
The other Long Tailed Macaque was reported by Mrs. Janice Dagundong thru the DENR Zamboanga Peninsula Facebook Page and transferred the concern to our office for immediate action. Upon our arrival to the area, Mrs. Janice Dagundong, from Purok Azucena, Locuban, Pagadian City, reported that the said animal was too aggressive to the point that it bit her son three times and that they spent thousands for the Anti-Rabies. Worried that the said animal will cause harm to her son again, she decided to report the matter to our office for her son’s safety and the turn-over of the animal to our custody.
Initial assessment made by CENRO Ramon Magsaysay personnel revealed that the two Long Tailed Macaque were found to be healthy and in good condition.
The said animals are now under the custody of the Regional Wildlife Rescue Center at Baclay, Tukuran, Zamboanga del Sur for proper care and treatment before its release to its natural habitat.
The Long Tailed Macaque falls under category “Other Wildlife Species” pursuant to Section 4 of DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-09 known as the Update National List of Threatened Philippine Fauna and their categories.
They are protected under Republic Act 9147 or the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act” which prohibits anybody from collecting, hunting, injuring and killing/destroying of wildlife species, including handling/possessing of wildlife without permits/licenses.
The Regional Cave Committee (RCC) meeting convened today, September 21, in Zamboanga City and presided over by the In-Charge, Office of the Regional Executive Director Ronald D. Gadot together with the representatives from the academic institutions, law enforcement agencies, NGOs and national government agencies.
The agenda of the meeting were the following; to review and deliberate the twelve (12) CY 2022 assessment reports of the different caves in Zamboanga Peninsula, to review and deliberate the Management Plan of Armalite Cave located in Purok Uno, Brgy. Lipay, Jose Dalman, Zamboanga del Norte presented by Atty. Jay Mark Balbosa, and to review and deliberate the two (2) proposed biodiversity assessment research studies within the Municipality of Guipos, Zamboanga Del Sur.
During the discussions, issues and concerns relating to cave conservation and management were raised and identified.
Mount Gutom Protected Landscape proposal passed through the First Reading during the First Regular Session of the Nineteenth Congress in the House of Representatives on August 15, 2022 as House Bill No. 3392, “AN ACT DECLARING A PARCEL OF LAND LOCATED IN THE MUNICIPALITIES OF PRESIDENT MANUEL A. ROXAS, KATIPUNAN AND SIAYAN IN THE PROVINCE OF ZAMBOANGA DEL NORTE, A PROTECTED AREA WITH THE CATEGORY OF PROTECTED LANDSCAPE UNDER THE NATIONAL INTEGRATED PROTECTED AREAS SYSTEM (NIPAS) TO BE REFFERED TO AS THE MT. GUTOM PROTECTED LANDSCAPE, PROVIDING FOR ITS MANAGEMENT AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR.” Such was filed on August 9, 2022 by Congresswoman Hon. Glona G. Labadlabad of the 2nd District of Zamboanga del Norte.
The passage of said proposal to the House of Representatives emanated from the successful meeting of Zamboanga del Norte OIC-PENR Officer, Cidur S. Julsadjiri together with Manukan CENRO officials headed by Forester George Laolao with Congresswoman Labadlabad on May 30, 2022 wherein Hon. Labadlabad committed to its filing as Mt. Gutom is one of the remaining natural forests hosting different species of flora and fauna and one of the most important watersheds in the 2nd district of Zamboanga del Norte.
Mt. Gutom underwent several processes and assessments to meet the qualifications of a potential Protected Area (PA), which among others, the Protected Area Suitability Assessment (PASA) conducted by CENRO Manukan in 2017, with results showing a total of 384 species of flora, where 9 species are critically endangered, 3 endangered, 14 threatened, and 16 vulnerable species.
PENRO Julsadjiri said that with the declaration of Mt. Gutom as a protected area, it will boost biodiversity protection and conservation efforts of the department in the area.
Forests provide a range of ecosystem services and serve as significant carbon sink; hence, they are vital for biological conservation and environmental protection. And one of the conservation strategies to help protect, preserve and conserve the remaining unexploited natural resources against resource depletion and overexploitation is the establishment of PA under NIPAS Act of 1992 as amended by Republic Act 11038, otherwise known as the ENIPAS Act of 2018.
The proposed Mt. Gutom Protected Protected Landscape has a total area of 5,464 hectares with the biggest portion covering Barangays Panampalay and Tantingon in the municipality of President Manuel A. Roxas, Barangays Malasay and Fimagas in Katipunan, and Barangay Dumugok in Siayan.
