PGMA to sign Climate Change Law by end-October
The President has convened LEDAC, which is the advisory and consultative body to the President and the Legislature on various socioeconomic issues, to discuss effective climate change measures.
The law, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, aims to mainstream climate change into policy formulation, development panning, and poverty reduction programs. It also creates a Climate Change Commission (CCC) to coordinate, monitor, and evaluate the programs and action plans of government relating to climate change.
The CCC will be headed by the President. It will be composed of three Commissioners, one of whom shall be the vice-chairperson.
The Commission is mandated to formulate “a framework strategy on climate change, which will serve as the basis for a program for climate change planning, research and development, extension, and monitoring of activities to protect vulnerable communities.
Local government units (LGUs) will be the frontline agencies in the formulation, planning and implementation of climate change action plans in their respective areas.
Meanwhile, Congress committed to pass the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act when it resumes its sessions after the All Saints’ Day recess.
The measure seeks to strengthen the country’s disaster risk management capability by establishing the National Disaster Risk Management Plan.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the bicameral committee will meet with stakeholders and the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to fine tune the provisions of the measure based on the recent experiences on typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.”
In the same meeting, the President expressed her gratitude to Congress for approving last night the P12 billion supplemental calamity fund.
“They did it in time for today’s meeting,” he said. The LEDAC also agreed to further strengthen government’s information dissemination on climate change so the “people will understand.”
The Office of the Press Secretary will handle the task. Other measures suggested include the creation of a river basin council and more green jobs. (PIA)
Army troops dismantle rebel camp in Catanduanes
by MA Loterte
Legazpi City (16 October) — Government troops raided on Thursday a rebel camp in the hinterland village of sitio Tacad, barangay Maysuran in Caramoran town in the island province of Catanduanes, an official of the Philippine Army (PA) said.
Capt. Razaliegh Bansawan, 901st Army Brigade spokesman, said the raiding army troops, however, discovered the guerilla camp already abandoned by the communist rebels, who managed to leave their camp following a series of tactical offensive launched recently by the military in the province.
Bansawan said elements of Alpha Company of the 83rd Infantry Battalion, led by 1st Lt. Edmar Gambot, raided the NPA camp around 11:00 am yesterday following a tip from concerned barangay residents and discovered the abandoned camp with eight huts, which can house more or less three comrades, a common toilet, two water points, subversive documents and personal belongings.
He added the camp was used by at least 20-man rebel group led by NPA leader Daniel Frias alias “Tabs” of the Isla Pusa Guerrilla Front operating in the island province of Catanduanes.
Bansawan also said the series of military operation in Catanduanes led to the discovery of 3 other guerilla camps since the start of the military-police pact intensifying counter insurgency campaign in the Bicol region.
MGen. Ruperto Pabustan, 9th Army Infantry Division commanding general, said the military will continue to intensify its counter insurgency measures to topple down the remaining remnants of the communist guerilla in Bicol. (PIA V)
Execs slate rehab program for Daet River
by RB Manlangit
Daet Mayor Tito Sarte Sarion, PRO Daet River chair, said that the municipal government here will spearhead the clean up along Daet River tapping all sectors of the community including barangays along the river as well as NGOs, POs and volunteer groups.
Sarion added the outreach program also include radio advocacy, billboard revolution awareness campaign by utilizing PRO Daet River logo among different organizations’ promotional drives
He said that the local government will ensure the consistent garbage collection along Daet River and will initiate the tree planting activities with the assistance of the concerned national government agencies.
On October 2, Sarion had issued Executive Order No. 19-2009 declaring October 17 as PRO Daet River Day, creating the different working committees and appropriating funds for the program thereafter.
The municipal government is very much concerned about the worsening problem on carrying out the solid waste management program in the country, in addressing or mitigating the effects of climate-change, in addition to the man made destruction of the environment.
An advocacy group, dubbed”Tamang Sanitasyon para sa Kalikasan at Kaunlaran”, will also plan out and carry out activities to ensure the preservation of the Daet River and biodiversity in the area.
The group is composed of Maor Sarion as chair, Dr. Wenifrede T. Oñate of CNSC, vice chair, Elpidio Z. Orata of DENR-PENRO forester, and Santiago A. Mella Jr., Ecological Solid Waste Management officer as over-all coordinators, the various government line agencies and private sectors will serve as members. (PIA CamNorte)
DENR establishes PRS92 mojons in Masbate
All the mojons were set up in different areas of mainland Masbate since June this year by DENR Field Network Survey (FNSP) teams. The two teams will also undertake the same activity in the two other islands in Masbate this month.
PRS92 is a homogenous national network of GEPs, marked by mojons established using Global Position System (GPS) technology. GPS is an all-weather, high precision, global satellite positioning system that revolutionalized navigation and surveying operations.
Under Executive Order No. 321 issued by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the DENR is mandated to complete the adoption and integration of all surveys into the PRS92 until year 2010.
A major part of PRS92 is the establishment of permanent reference points nationwide to serve as control points of all survey activities of both the government and private surveyors for the benefit of landowners.
By virtue of EO 45, PRS92 became the standard reference system for all surveying and mapping activities in the Philippines. The order also mandated that all new surveys and maps shall be referred to the new network and all old surveys shall be integrated into it.
Among the strategies to support the objectives of PRS92 is information campaign and Adopt-A-Mojon program.
The program aims to enlist the participation of local government units, peoples’ organization, and the general public in the establishment and preservation of PRS92 geodetic control points.
In Bicol, DENR Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada said a total of 60 LGUs have signed a memorandum of agreement with DENR adopting mojons established in their respective area.
The DENR, through the PRS92 Program Steering Committee, oversees the over-all implementation of EO 321. The National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), lands Management Bureau, and the DENR Regional Operation Committee are the primary office responsible in executing the order. (AS Araya, DENR/PIA)
The groups install a banner on the mound of wastes
Volunteers from Greenpeace Water Patrol, Ecowaste and Buklod Tao Kalikasan bear witness to the illegal dumping of flood garbage and debris along the river banks of Nangka River by the Marikina government and Metro Manila Development Authority. The groups install a banner on the mound of wastes on the Marikina Side saying “Protect our River, Stop Dumping” and from San Mateo Side “Ang Basurang itinapon niyo, Babalik sa inyo.” (Gigie Cruz/AKP Images)
Illegal Dumping of Flood Garbage and Debris along the River Bank
Volunteers from Greenpeace Water Patrol, Ecowaste and Buklod Tao Kalikasan bear witness to the illegal dumping of flood garbage and debris along the river banks of Nangka River by the Marikina government and Metro Manila Development Authority. The groups install a banner on the mound of wastes on the Marikina Side saying “Protect our River, Stop Dumping” and from San Mateo Side “Ang Basurang itinapon niyo, Babalik sa inyo.” San Mateo residents fear that the continuous dumping will cause further erosion on their side of the river. (Gigie Cruz/AKP Images)
Vizcaya town honors tricycle drivers
Solano, Nueva Vizcaya (October 15) — Local officials in this town have cited tricycle drivers in a fitting ceremony after the conduct of the search for its model members dubbed “Maginoong” tricycle driver in time with the 10-day 2009 “Pagbiagan” Festival here.
Joseph Lacerna, 27 of barangay Osmena bagged this year’s search, followed by Marcial Naguit, 35 of barangay Quezon, 2nd; Albert Victorino, 24 of barangay Quirino, 3rd; Jerix Salazar, 32 of barangay, 4th and Arvin Lance Bermudez, 18 of barangay Roxas as 5th awardee.
The winners were selected after passing the final screening and elimination by the search committee, said Aurelio Polonio, assistant event organizer of the search.
According to Polonio, since the town does not have enough natural and manmade tourism spots that will boost the business and industry, the real Filipino culture particularly values are also being promoted for tourism.
“It is on this conviction that we are investing on our people-the tricycle drivers because they are the frontliners in our tourism industry being in the transportation sector,” he stressed.
The search for “Maginoong Tricycle Driver 2009″ aims to bring out the best qualities of tricycle drivers showcasing not just their physical abilities but also intellectual, psychological, social and religious well-being, to bring out the true value of town residents representing the distinct qualities, showcase a vibrant driver who possesses the traits of honesty, hospitality and courtesy who can promote and advocate the town’s tourism potentials and to bring out the potentials of tricycle drivers who can represent the town in its social and official functions and activities outside and inside the municipality. (BME/PIA NVizcaya)
Green Groups Campaign for Zero Waste Solutions to Lessen Ravages of Climate Change
(parade lion waste monster to warn people of health and environmental hazards of wasting)
16 October 2009, Quezon City. In an audacious demonstration of solidarity and resolve, environmental advocates vowed to redouble their efforts in pursuing sustainable consumption and Zero Waste solutions to help avert the climate crisis.
As the Filipino people come to grips with the deadly onslaught of storms, floods and landslides, the EcoWaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) and the Miss Earth Foundation stepped up their common plea for increased resource conservation and decreased greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through greener lifestyle
changes and Zero Waste.
In a post-Ondoy and Pepeng community outreach, the groups in collaboration with barangay and school officials organized a creative event in Barangay Krus na Ligas in Quezon City to encourage the public to get rid of wasteful habits and consciously cut the amount of trash going to bins, waterways and dumpsites.
To emphasize the issue of wasting, the groups paraded a “lion waste monster,” a horrendous creature whose head and body were crafted mostly from plastic bags – the most obvious manifestation of the ever-increasing throw-away consumption culture that became more visible during the post-Ondoy cleanup challenge. The lion “danced” to
the vigorous beat of drums made of recycled materials.
“The destructive back-to-back storms remind us that we can no longer live ‘business as usual.’ Our wasteful consumption patterns are heating up our planet in a fast pace. By adopting Zero Waste as part of our daily routine, we conserve our diminishing natural resource base and curb pollution from the high volume of trash sent to dumpsites or dumped into our rivers and seas,” said Gigie Cruz of GAIA, which spearheaded the event to mark the “Global Day of Action against Waste and Incineration.”
“Composting our biodegradable discards, for instance, eliminates methane releases from dumpsites and landfills, while improving soil fertility and reducing demands for synthetic fertilizer and toxic pesticides,” she added. Methane has 72 times more global warming
potential compared to carbon dioxide over a 20-year period.
“It is time that we make drastic changes in our practices in response to what Mother Earth is telling us. We cannot afford another ‘Ondoy’ or ‘Pepeng’ just to tell us that we need to cut and manage our waste.
We should continue to help educate and empower our people to shift to more 
environmentally-sound alternatives and opt for greener choices now,” said Cathy Untalan, Executive Director, Miss Earth Foundation.
Together with Miss Earth 2008 Karla Henry, Miss Philippines Fire 2009 Patricia Marie Tumulak, Miss Philippines Water 2009 Catherine Loyola, Miss Philippines Air 2009 Michelle Martha Braun and Miss Philippines Earth 2009 runner-up Kirstie Joan Babor, the eco-queens likewise promoted a switch to “Wastong Nutrisyon” to avoid non-communicable diseases that are associated with diet-related lifestyle diseases.
For his part, actor Roy Alvarez of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Steering Committee emphasized the need for all Filipinos to assume responsibility for their discards and live a waste-free lifestyle.
“We need everyone to take full responsibility in cutting our waste size to the minimum and in ensuring that our discards are ecologically managed and not merely thrown, dumped or burned. As stewards of Mother Nature, we all need to assume our role and duty to relate and care for the environment,” Alvarez said.
Following the parade, Mercy Sumilang of the Mother Earth Foundation, assisted by 10 “earth maidens and guardians,” facilitated a hands-on demonstration on the easy way of segregating discards into biodegradable, non-biodegradable and hazardous (also known as special waste) categories, and showed the audience the basic steps for successful household composting.
Zero Waste is the dynamic application of waste prevention, reduction, reuse, recycling and composting at any level – household, institutional, community and country – that has been shown to reduce GHG emissions from avoided disposal and from reduced demand for virgin materials.
According to GAIA’s fact sheet on “Zero Waste for Zero Warming,” Zero Waste is among the cheapest and most effective strategies to combat climate change since its application lessens the use of fossil fuel from materials extraction, production, consumption and disposal, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions from these activities, while saving the forests and mountains and safeguarding other essential life
support systems.
For a healthier and safer lifestyle and environment, the EcoWaste Coalition, GAIA and the Miss Earth Foundation have come up with tips that can help in reducing not only the volume but also the toxicity of waste, such as refraining from using single-use disposable items, cutting back on plastic bags and switching to reusable carry bags, properly segregating discards for easier and cleaner recycling, composting biodegradable discards into soil nutrients, separating hazardous waste from regular household waste, and by not burning or dumping discards.
Also present in the event were the representatives of the Cavite Green Coalition, Earth Renewal Project, EARTH UST, Health Care Without Harm, Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society, Sanib-Lakas ng mga Aktibong Lingkod sa Inang Kalikasan and Sining Yapak.
PGMA vows to intensify infrastructure investments for growth
Manila (15 October) — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made the assurance that her administration will pursue poverty amelioration program even as it tackles the grim task of rehabilitation to address the damage left behind by typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” in the past three weeks and typhoon “Frank” last year.
According to the President, her administration will work aggressively to ensure growth, generate jobs, and increase revenue.
The President said “We will continue with the Economic Resiliency Program, and its key components: the conditional cash transfers and emergency employment. With government support and the hard work of our people, we will maintain growth and intensify investment in infrastructure, especially post-calamity reconstruction.”
On Tuesday, the President announced the creation of the Special National Public-Private Reconstruction Commission to determine the cost of rehabilitation and raise the fund to cover that cost.
The country, said the President, would push for grants or non-repayable inflows; concessional loans such as the zero-interest yen loan package from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); and, as a last option, commercial borrowings either through bonds or other instruments.
The President added calamity victims should not be penalized with high interest rates.
“We are grateful to the UN for launching a flash appeal to mobilize grants. We count on Congress for a joint resolution authorizing us to avail ourselves of what we call an ‘unprogrammed provision’,” she said.
Through the commission, the President pointed out, the government will coordinate an international pledging session with the UN and the World Bank.
“A special pledging session would tap into the huge underlying global constituency for climate change adaptation. It would capitalize on ongoing discussions and negotiations leading to Copenhagen. Even in Bangkok, the Philippine case was widely cited as proof for the need for adaptation financing. We should use the umbrella of the UN framework, not just the World Bank,” she added.
Depending on the recommendation of the special commission, the President pointed out that the government may also issue reconstruction bonds to which multilateral financing institutions (MFIs) such as the World Bank can subscribe to. (PIA)
Salceda welcomes PGMA creation of Special National Reconstruction Commission
by MS Arguelles
Legazpi City (14 October) — Albay Gov. Joey S. Salceda yesterday welcomed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s creation on Monday the Special National Public-Private Reconstruction Commission to study the causes of the weather abnormalities, what actions to take to prepare the country, and the cost such actions will entail.
The commission will also handle fresh aid given by external sources to fund reconstruction efforts destroyed by typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, and Frank in Metro Manila and neighboring regions in Luzon.
The President made the announcement during the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) cum Cabinet meeting held Tuesday in Dagupan City.
The chief executive has signed the executive order the other day, but she said it has not yet been authorized for release by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita which explains why the E.O. still has no number.
The President said she issued the executive order because of the magnitude of the impact of the recent calamities that hit the country in the midst of the global financial crunch that also affected fiscal capacity.
The Commission was tasked to undertake a study on the causes, costs and actions to be taken in the wake of the three typhoons that caused enormous damage to the country.
It will also undertake the rehabilitation plan for wrecked infrastructure and other priorities; prioritize programs as well as oversee implementation of these programs.
The special commission that will be headed by a business leader will also raise funds, especially grants, to fund reconstruction.
It will also serve as a clearing house for international assistance implemented by donors themselves using the cluster approach.
The Chief executive designated Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and a church leader as co-chairs with all department heads and business groups, representatives of Philippine and international non-government organizations as members.
Furthermore, the Commission was also tasked to request the United Nations and the World Bank to coordinate an international pledging session.
Salceda said under his proposal the country needs to seek $1 billion fresh aid from international communities, to overcome the impact of global crisis and the magnitude of the calamity that recently wrought havoc to the country.
Salceda, a senior economic adviser of President Arroyo, said the $1-billion financial aid would finance reconstruction of various social and infrastructure programs destroyed by Tropical Storm Ondoy and Pepeng.
The fresh aid would be used to finance relocation of thousands of families displaced by the calamities at P20-billion; infrastructure rehabilitation at P21-billion; and livelihood and agriculture at P5-billion.
This totals P46-billion of which P27-billion funding to rehabilitate projects destroyed by Ondoy, P12-billion for Pepeng and P7-billion for Frank.
“The commission will operate like the original CCPAP (Coordinating Council for the Philippine Assistance Plan) headed by businessman Roberto Villanueva of AGPI. The CCPAP has since evolved into the CCPSP which operates the BOT Center under DTI, Salceda said.
The Office of Civil Defence (OCD) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to form the secretariat, key tasks are to raise funds especially grants, prioritize programs and oversee implementation. (PNA/PIA)
