RESILIENCY PROJECT. Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Jose Matugas II and Department of Environment and Natural Resources Sec. Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga (4th and 5th from left), together with chief executives of the four municipalities of Surigao del Norte, sign a memorandum of agreement in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte on Friday (June 23, 2023) for the implementation of Project TRANSFORM. It involves the implementation of resilient and sustainable environment programs in the towns of Del Carmen, Burgos, Malimono, and San Francisco in the province. (PNA photo by Alexander Lopez)
GEN. LUNA, Siargao Island – Reaffirming its support towards building climate-resilient local government units (LGUs) and bringing government services closer to the people, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Friday launched new projects in Surigao del Norte.
DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga led the implementation of its Project TRANSFORM (Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Environmental Sustainability through Multistakeholder Engagement) in Odette-hit municipalities of Del Carmen, Burgos, Malimono and San Francisco in Siargao Island.
"The DENR is here to support all LGUs and all partners on their journey towards resilience. This support will cover ridge-to-reef and we will work with you in managing forests, coastal and marine habitats, land use, solid waste, and water,” Loyzaga said.
Project TRANSFORM is the integrated resilience and sustainability program of the DENR that engages the whole of society in implementing programs to alleviate poverty, enhance community resilience and promote public-private partnerships.
During the event, a memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed between the DENR and mining company Taganito HPAL Nickel Corporation (THPAL) for Adopt-National Greening Program (NGP) Site Projects.
Under the MOA, THPAL will undertake a reforestation and rehabilitation program, and ensure the maintenance and protection of 53 hectares of forest area in the municipality in compliance with the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued to the company.
Loyzaga also led the launching of the DENR Services on Wheels, a mobile one-stop shop that will provide communities with routine services without the need to go to the mainland.
It will accept online applications for ECC, and tenural instrument requests and applications, among others.
The DENR hopes to institutionalize the project in other regions as well to make its services closer to the people.
Meanwhile, the DENR also awarded the Protected Area Community-Based Resource Management Agreement (PACBRMA) to the Kaugmaon Nan Sapaonon Association Inc. (KINSAI).
The PACBRMA is a tenurial instrument issued to a people’s organization to develop, utilize, manage, conserve, and protect the Community-Based Program in Protected Areas.
TRANSFORM benefits
Loyzaga was joined by Surigao del Norte 1st District Rep. Francisco Jose Matugas II and other top DENR officials.
“Surigao del Norte and Siargao Island have a unique set of opportunities for inclusive and resilient development,” Loyzaga said.
Under the TRANSFORM agreement, LGUs shall work to strengthen resiliency and adaptive capacities to climate-related hazards and natural disasters; LGUs will get assistance in promote mechanisms for raising their capacities in terms of climate change-related planning and management; and conservation of marine resources will be prioritized.
There will be measures to regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing practices will also be implemented.
Similarly, the DENR, LGUS, and partners in the private sector will work together to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene, and to end open defecation with special attention to the needs of women, girls, and those in vulnerable situations.
“The project can be implemented in nine municipalities of Surigao del Norte here in Siargao Island, as I emphasized during my message during the launching,” Matugas said during an interview on the sidelines of the activity.
Matugas noted that this town alone caters to 80 percent of tourist arrivals on the island. (With a report from Marita Moaje/PNA)
