DENR Mission

Our mission is to mobilize our citizenry in protecting, conserving and managing the environment and natural resources. It is our mandate to stop environmental abuses, reverse ecological degradation, conserving remaining natural resources and ensure that they benefit our people.

DENR implements land titling in partnership with LGUs

Sunday, 26 June 2011 00:00 | |
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is partnering with local government units (LGUs) in the conduct of land titling in an effort to fast track the processing and issuance of land titles over inalienable and disposable lands.

DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje said the move will also provide an opportunity for the LGUs to take an active role in the agencys programs. Local government units have critical role to play in the implementation of national programs and projects as provided by the Local Government Code, and one of these is land titling where their help is important particularly in resolving boundary conflicts, Paje said. Paje said the LGU-DENR partnership calls for the creation of a composite land adjudication team composed of at least one deputy public land inspector (DPLI) who will work under the supervision of the DENR land management officer (LMO) assigned to the LG. The team will help the DENR in the titling of alienable and disposable lands in cities and municipalities, according to Paje. The team is expected to function in its municipality of jurisdiction to assist in land adjudication, dispute resolution and other steps to facilitate and fast tract the land titling, Paje said. Under the DENR Administrative Order No. 2011-06 entitled Prescribing the guidelines for the implementation of public land titling in partnership with local government units, all the regional executive directors (REDs) of the DENR are authorized to deputize permanent LGU officials that may be assigned to the titling program as Deputy Public Land Inspectors (DPLI). The order also provides the following procedures in the deputation of DPLIs: a) submission of list of nominees and their corresponding qualifications by the LGU to the RED through the community environment and natural resources officer (CENRO) and provincial environment and natural resources officer (PENRO); b) the CENRO and the PENRO to conduct their respectivetive review of the list of nominees and then submit their respective recommendations within 15 days; and c) upon submission of the list and recommendations to the RED, the RED in turn will authorize the conduct of necessary training related to DPLIs functions, mandates, authorities, duties and responsibilities. Paje said that the responsibilities and authority of the DPLI only apply in their respective cities and municipalities of their jurisdiction. Under the Order, the composite land adjudication team has the following roles to play in the titling procedure: liaise with, orient and mobilize the community to participate in the LGU titling program; coordinate with barangay officials of the area under the titling program; process applications by undertaking adjudication activities such as conduct interviews of land titling applicants, conduct of ocular inspection, evaluation of land claims and the pieces of evidence presented; assistance in the amicable resolution of disputes,

among others. The DENR also has the following roles: assignment of land management officers (LMOs) from the CENROs, PENROs or DENR regional office concerned to the LGU initiated titling program and the titling office created; provide all the necessary and pertinent land records, surveys maps and other pertinent data; provide technical assistance in the conduct of surveys, land adjudication, training and capacity building on public land administration and management; and provide general control and supervision over the LGU titling program where the DENR field offices shall maintain approval and signing authorities in all phases of the patent application and adjudication process. The land information office created under the Order will be responsible for the provision of accurate and updated land information to support real property taxation, land transactions, resource management, development and conservation, zoning and land use, infrastructure, disaster management and business process and investments.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje rallied last week his field officials to ensure the success of the National Greening Program, saying the program has full support of the President. There is no reason to fail considering that President Aquino has amply given all the support this program (NGP) needs to succeed, Paje told the regional executive directors (REDs), regional technical directors, and the provincial and community environment and natural resources officers (PENROs, CENROs) attending the 2-day National Convention of Field Officers held May 31-June 1, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City. Paje also challenged the field officials to give their best shot as their performance in implementing the NGP will be highly taken into consideration in the evaluation of officials for promotions. Those who will be performing will be rewarded. Wala pong biro yan, Paje said, stressing that the field officers will be evaluated fairly based on a purely-merit system without regard for personal ties or past associations he has made through over 20 years at the DENR where he started his career as a casual forester. Paje said the NGP-driven performance-based incentive scheme will first zero in on the PENRO and CENRO positions, with an instruction to DENR Assistant Secretary for Management and Finance Corazon Davis to reserve the vacant PENRO and CENRO posts as rewards for NGPs top performers especially those that are on an acting capacity. If you are a CENRO, you will automatically become a PENRO. Those who are not yet full-pledged CENRO (with temporary appointment), we will make you full-pledged CENROs. Performance lamang, wala nang iba, Paje stressed. Of the 168 CENRO plantilla positions, 47 have yet to be filled; while 25 remain vacant in the 73 PENRO plantilla posts. The incentive scheme forms part of Pajes overall program to strengthen DENRs performance-based promotion system to beef up the national leaderships efforts in professionalizing the Philippine bureaucracy. But Paje was quick to clarify that the quality of their performance will be determined by the survival of the seedling declared in their performance and not merely on the number

of seedling planted. Remember, the NGP is a national priority program of President Aquino, and this is not for show but for grow. Gone are the days when tree planting activities were just to set world records or just for photo opportunities, Paje noted. At the same time, Paje asked doubting Thomases to be forthcoming this early with their hesitation to go all out to meet their targets to allow for management to act appropriately in their particular case. We will make sure that everybody performs. Kung sino sa inyo ang tingin ay hindi kayang ipatupad ang programang ito, sabihin na ninyo ngayon, Paje said. The performance-based incentive will be based on the field officials scorecard in the yearly targets given them and will be validated with the use of state-of-the art technology such as satellite mapping and internet-based technology through NGPs website at the www.ngp.denr.gov.ph

With the onset of the rainy season, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje makes a pitch to the public to start planting trees and other crops in line with the National Greening Program.

Arbor Day is celebrated in the Philippines every June 25, but with 8 million hectares of the countrys forestland open and degraded, lets make every day an Arbor Day, Paje said. Relative to this, Paje announced that some 250 volunteers will undertake a twokilometer trek into the hills of the Ipo watershed in Norzagaray, Bulacan to plant some 2,500 narra and cupang tree seedlings in the observance of the Philippine Arbor Day. Now more than ever, Arbor day celebration will take on a deeper and more significant meaning to every nature-loving Filipino and like-minded organizations in the country as the effort to win back the countrys forests has been launched under the mantle of the National Greening Program (NGP), Paje stressed, noting that declaration of 2011 as the International Year of Forests and June being the Philippine Environment Month accentuates the centrality of NGPs objective to the administrations pursuit of a clean and viable environment for Filipinos. The environment chief underscored the timeliness of tree planting, given the high precipitation currently prevailing generally in the country, thus calling on the public to take this advantage and plant trees . It behooves all nature-loving Filipinos to observe Arbor Day every day, and this call becomes even more compelling for all of us considering that the prevailing weather conditions in most parts of the country allow for this very important civic duty, Paje stressed. President Benigno S. Aquino III launched last month the National Greening Progra at the DENR in Quezon City. NGP seeks to transform some 1.5 million hectares of open and denuded areas into verdant hills and mountains with at least 1.5 billion trees, until the end of his term in 2016. Spearheaded by three convergence agencies, namely the Departments of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform and the DENR, Paje also said the program has the full support of the entire Cabinet, notably the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) which have already committed to mobilize students to

plant at least 10 seedlings per student per year. Aside from the students, all employees of the government, including government-owned and controlled corporations and local government units, are required to plant the same number of seedlings annually. Paje said the participation of Agriculture Secretary Prospero Alcala and Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio Delos Reyes and their employees in the tree planting activities in Ipo watershed is to send a message of the new face of Philippine greening program which is anchored on the principle of convergence as exemplified in NGPs implementation through the Convergence Initiative of the three agencies. The DENR has likewise secured the services of organizations that have a direct stake in the forest cover of the Ipo watershed, namely the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Maynilad Water Services, Inc., and the Manila Water Company, Inc. Paje will lead some 75 DENR employees in the trek with 50 each from DA and DAR led by Alcala and Delos Reyes, respectively, while MWSS, Manila Water, and Maynilad will each field 50 warm bodies for the activity. Paje said all of them will plant 10 seedlings each in compliance to the NGP which require at least 10 seedlings planted by every volunteer under the program. The Ipo watershed is home to the Ipo Dam which serves as the transbasin and reservoir for water coming from Angat watershed and those coming from Ipo watershed itself. The water is then released to La Mesa Dam for processing into potable water for distribution to Metro Manila residents.

The Philippines has gained international high marks for its efforts to control air pollution, but the environment department is not resting on its laurels and in fact plans to intensify air quality management programs with the help of its partners.

This was the message of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje during the 2-day Forum on Clean Air 10+2 at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City. The forum, held June 14-15 as part of the celebration of the Environment Month, was attended by representatives of other government agencies, local government units (LGUs), members of the Partnerships for Clean Air (PCA), businesses, non-government organizations and the academe. Paje said that, as the country has made a lot of progress in its efforts to clean the air since the enactment of the Philippine Clean Air Act (Republic Act 8749), It is not to be wondered, then, that the Yale University in 2010 gave us a fairly high grade in the air pollution criterion of its annual Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The secretary reported out that the countrys EPI of 71.7 points in the air pollution criterion is higher than the Asia-Pacific regional average of 54.3, outranking 12 other countries in the region while ranking third to Malaysia and Singapore in Southeast Asia. The country tied Australia in 50th place overall, out of 163 countries ranked.

The EPI ranks countries on 25 performance indicators tracked across ten policy categories, one of which is air pollutions impact on humans, covering both environmental public health and ecosystem vitality. Higher EPI points mean that a country or region is closer to achieving its established goals in environmental policy. (The rankings can be viewed on the website: epi.yale.edu.)

Paje cited the different programs that contributed to the favorable ranking, such as the enhancement of anti-smoke belching operations in Metro Manila; the adoption of more stringent emission standards for all types of motor vehicles; and stricter monitoring of private emission testing centers and motor vehicle inspection centers with the use of closed-circuit television or CCTV cameras. The implications, he said, are that administrative and regulatory efforts of the government can bring down levels of total suspended particulates (TSP), as evidenced by the decrease in the level of Total Suspended Particulate from 166 micrograms per normal cubic meter (g/ncM) in December 2010 to 121g/ncM in April 2011. TSP levels indicate the amount of dust and other pollutants in the air. He stressed, however, that government still needs interventions from its partners to further bring TSP levels much closer to the annual standard level of 90g/ncM. Such interventions may be in the form of technology, such as the use of electric tricycles, which is currently being piloted by the DENR, the Department of Energy and the Asian Development Bank in Mandaluyong City. We will be popularizing the use of electric tricycles not only in Metro Manila but in other major cities. The ultimate aim is for our countrys five million tricycles, of which 2.8 million are in Metro Manila, to become zeroemission vehicles, he said. He added that the Aquino administration is also looking into the possibility of converting current diesel-run jeepneys into electric jeepneys. This would keep the cultural identity of the jeepney as uniquely Filipino, while at the same time lessening its air polluting qualities. Other interventions mentioned by the DENR secretary was the retrofitting of engines to enable the use of alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas in public transportation, and the full cooperation of LGUs in the implementation of clean air programs. In line with this, Paje bared his proposal to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the different Metro Manila Mayors on the adoption of a no exposed soil policy to reduce the amount of dust in the air coming from streets and bare, open land especially during the dry season. He suggested that part of the policys scheme could be to outsource the maintenance of plants in the citys streets by tapping the services of associations of plant nurseries and seedling banks. Additionally, Paje disclosed the existence of a P2 billion fund with the Road Board which is allocated for the environment. Huwag nang ibigay [sa DENR] ang pera, he said, adding that he is instead willing to endorse proposals from the PCA, the MMDA or other partners for them to be able to access part of the fund for their clean air projects, including urban greening to keep Metro Manila perpetually green. Paje maintained the need for persistent efforts to clean the air through partnerships. Never did I entertain in my mind the idea that we cannot solve problems for cleaner air without the help of stakeholders, he said. At the same time, he asked stakeholders to be vigilant in checking the DENR to keep our people on their toes. He also mentioned the countrys accomplishments throughout the 12 years since the implementation of the Clean Air Act. These include the phasing out of lead from gasoline by January 2001, as well as 94 per cent of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs); and the enactment of landmark environmental laws such as the Biofuels Act of 2006, the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, and the Climate Change Act of 2009. The DENR has also led in the development and implementation of the National Air Quality Improvement Framework that saw the designation of 13 regular airsheds and

five geothermal airsheds, as well as the establishment of stations to monitor particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in strategic places in Metro Manila and elsewhere in the country.

The probing eyes of auditors at the Commission on Audit (COA) will play a key role in the success of the Aquino administrations six year National Greening Program (NGP).

This, according to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje who recently sought the help of COA for the audit of some 1.5 billion tree seedlings that would be produced and planted in 1.5 million hectares under the program, between 2011 up to 2016. Paje disclosed that a letter had been sent to COA chairperson Ma. Gracia Pulido Tan last May, requesting COA to give regular audit priority and attention to (NGP) to ascertain accuracy of field reports, with particular focus on the financial statements of the seedlings production and distribution. The letter was also signed by Secretaries Prospero Alcala and Virgilio De Los Reyes of the Departments of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, respectively, which are NGPs coimplementors under the Convergence Initiative. Paje emphasized that the move to enlist the top watchdog at every level of governments performance will enhance the three Deprtments capabiltiy to focus on improving the survival rate of the seedlings planted and see whether our people in the field are really working. We wrote a joint letter to COA to audit us periodically. Kung pupuwede, quarterly, Paje said, expressing willingness to cover the expenses that may arise if the auditing can be held on a quarterly basis. Said Paje: If we need to pay COA to audit us (quarterly), we will pay because accounting and auditing entail costs. Under the NGP scheme, planting will be undertaken mostly by volunteers while the site identification and site preparation for the planting will be done by government. NGPs costing is peg at P12,500 on a per hectare basis, of which P6,000 is allocated for production of seedlings at an average of 500 seedlings for every hectare, or a unit cost of P12.00 per seedling. The balance of P6,000 will be for mobilization cost. Paje identified site identification and site preparation as the most crucial components of the three activities that would largely determine the survivability of the seedlings, aside from the use of a fungus-based fertilizer called Mykovam which, according to Paje, triples the root surface and aids in the survival of seedlings against the elements and infections. Mykovam contains a species of fungi called vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM) which infects the roots and increases the plants absorption of water and nutrients. Yung site identification and preparation, aakuhin na namin para bumaba yung mortality rate, Paje said, adding that the NGP is aiming for an 80 to 85 percent survival of seedlings planted in every hectare. For 2011, NGP aims to reforest some 100,000 hectares using 50,000 seedlings. Meanwhile, Assistant COA resident auditor for DENR and auditor team leader for

DENR-Office of the Secretary Melba Fajardo said the move to elevate the NGP auditing as a matter of priority in the three agencies agenda has provided a clear signal from them as to what priority should they give attention to in their annual Audit Focus Planning or AFP. Fajardo explained that areas of priority for their auditing activities are mapped up in these AFPs and emphasized that function to be assumed by COA as requested by the three agencies will be in conformity with the provisions of Presidential Decree 1445 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines. The bottomline is that our auditing of NGPs performance will be gauged according to the value-for-money standard to see if the reports consolidated by our regional counterparts measure up to three indicators in terms of efficiency of utilization of funds disbursed, economy and effectiveness of bringing real and measurable benefits to intended beneficiaries of the NGP, Fajardo said.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje is urging the public, particularly those residing in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, to support the Agrikultura Trade Fair (ATF) at the Megatrade Halls 2 and 3 of the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

We have to support rural sector initiatives. By patronizing the goods and services of our farmers and other participants of government programs of DENR, DA and DAR, we are also encouraging our rural communities to be more enterprising, while enhancing the market potential of their farm produce, Paje said. Slated on June 24-26, 2011, the trade fair will bring together the best of the countrys agricultural products for sale and exhibit, and to encourage public investments in agribusiness. It is jointly organized by the DENR, Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). With the theme, Agraryo, Agrikultura at Kalikasan: A Convergence towards Sustainable Rural Development, the ATF is expected to draw together farmers, fisher folk and rural womens organizations; government agencies and financing institutions involved in rural development; non-government organizations; producers and manufacturers of processed food products; and suppliers of packaging materials who will exhibit the best of their goods and services. The affair is open to the public, who can get their moneys worth out of the exhibitors showcase of fresh produce and traditional crops; organic, natural and wellness products; processed foods, wines and beverages; fashion accessories; and furniture, furnishing and home accessories. Paje said that the ATF will support the DENRs Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) program, which pursues agro-forestry, with the participation of invited peoples organizations. It will also support the Aquino administrations National Greening Program (NGP), which seeks to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares nationwide by 2016. The NGPs ultimate goal is to alleviate poverty especially in our upland communities as they have been categorized as among the poorest of our poor. The success of the ATF will provide a much needed impetus in our efforts for sustainable rural development, he said. The trade fair will also provide both the government and the private sector a venue to interact as they complement each others efforts in rural development. Essentially, the

ATF, which is part of the convergence initiative of the DENR, DA and DAR, will show how we wish to contribute to the three bottom lines of rural development, which are to increase productivity, increase income, and generate jobs in rural areas, Paje explained. Participants and visitors will also be treated to cooking demonstrations, a Habi at Gawa fashion show of farmers products, and a presentation on environmental awareness from the DENRs Teatro Kalikasan. With the three-day event, the organizers hope to facilitate investments for agribusiness and micro- and small enterprises, as well as conduct learning and knowledge exchange among all participants. Among others, it will also adopt the Aquino administrations strategy of establishing and strengthening public-private partnerships to hasten rural development. The participants are also expected to design strategic marketing programs to mainstream farmers products, and discuss how farmers can have a sustained access to local markets.

The Philippines is living up to its reputation as one of the worlds 17 mega-diverse countries in the world in terms of biodiversity as a group of American and Filipino biologists unearthed seven previously unknown mammal species in Luzon island.

All of the seven species are forest mice belonging to the genus Apomys and live only in a small part of Luzon. The discovery increased the number of native mammals excluding bats in the countrys largest island from 42 to 49, or up 17 per cent. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje was elated at the discovery, and noted its timeliness with the declaration of years 2011-2020 as Decade on Biodiversity by the United Nations and the national government. The international community has recognized that our country has among the highest rates of discovery in the world. Filipinos should be aware of such discoveries, to show a collective pride and give a more positive meaning to the expression, only in the Philippines, he said. The formal descriptions of the seven species were published in the May 2011 issue of Fieldiana, the peer-reviewed journal of the Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH) in Chicago. The nine co-authors of the article include biologists from the University of the Philippines, the Philippine National Museum, Conservation International (CI) -Philippines, Utah Museum of Natural History, and Florida State University. FMNHs Dr. Lawrence Heaney, project leader and the lead author of the Fieldiana, described the species as wonderful little mice that live in forested regions high in the mountain often abundant, [yet] they actively avoid humans and rarely cause any harm. They prefer to eat earthworms and seeds on the forest floor. Two of the species live in, or are endemic to, Mt. Tapulao in Zambales; two in Mt. Banahaw; another two in the Mingan Mountains of Aurora Province; and the remaining specie in the Sierra Madre mountain range of northeastern Luzon. Theresa Mundita Lim, Director of the DENRs Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB), said that the discovery highlights the need to protect mountain forest habitats. These animals are part of the rich biological heritage of the Philippines. The forests where they live in are crucial watershed areas for Manila and many other cities, she said. Danilo Balete, the projects field team leader, expressed the teams excitement with the discovery. It is extraordinary that so many new species of mammals remain to be discovered in

the Philippines. In the past 10 years, weve published formal descriptions of ten other species, while other biologists have described five more. And we are nowhere close to the end of our discoveries. The Philippines may have the greatest concentration of unique species of animals of any country in the world, he said. The discovery also prompted Dr. Scott Steppan, co-author and head of the laboratory at Florida State University where the DNA of the animals were studied, to consider the Philippines even better than the wildlife-rich Ecuadorian archipelago of the Galapagos Islands. The Philippines is an ideal place to study the evolution of animal diversity These animals have been evolving in the Philippine archipelago for millions of years, he said. Josefa Veluz, biologist of the Philippine National Museum and co-author of the study, pointed out that the new species from the Sierra Madre and Mt. Banahaw live within protected areas, but those from the Mingan Mountains and Mt. Tapulao do not. She cautioned the public on the impact on wildlife and watersheds of logging, agricultural expansion, and illegal mining activities. This was seconded by Romeo Trono, Country Executive Director for CI-Philippines. Protecting land and marine resources is key to maintaining healthy ecosystems which deliver services such as food, clean water, health, tourism and cultural benefits and a stable climate which are vital to the very survival of every Filipino. Although small in size, these little animals are part of our biodiversity which forms the basic foundation of healthy ecosystems. The Philippines, although cited by various conservation organizations as among those with remarkable levels of species endemism, is also ranked as one of the worlds most threatened hotspots, where increased human activities contribute largely to habitat loss and pose as severe threats to the existence of various species of flora and fauna.