DENR yearender: Wildlife protection, climate top agenda in 2016

MANILA, Philippines – The first half of 2016 saw the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) focusing on protecting the country’s wildlife and its habitat as well as taking steps to counter the ill effects of climate change.

During the early part of the year, it declared a 612-hectare property in Misamis Oriental’s Magsaysay town as a critical habitat for hawksbill sea turtles.

The property brought to more than 6,300 hectares the total area declared protected in Northeastern Mindanao to ensure survival of endangered marine species.

Then environment secretary Ramon Paje said the Magsaysay Critical Habitat for Hawksbill Turtles (MCHHT) is protected from business activities such as quarrying, mineral exploration and extraction, as well as logging.

 “This is to protect the nesting sites and population of the critically endangered hawksbill turtle along with other wildlife species listed under Republic Act 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act,” Paje said.

The law mandates the DENR to establish and manage critical habitats in areas located within its jurisdiction but outside of the protected areas (PA) listed under RA 7586 or the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act of 1992.

To expand conservation efforts within the country’s protected areas, the DENR tapped the wireless communications technology and launched a web-based mobile application called Lawin Forest and Biodiversity Protection System.

The LFBPS was meant to provide accurate information on the status of PAs covered by the NIPAS Act.

Paje said the technology enabled park rangers and planners to access and share critical information in real time.

The project’s system operates a web-based, open-source software called CyberTracker for data collection and the spatial monitoring and reporting tool for data analysis, mapping and report generation.

Data can be transferred to Google maps and other tools for creation of reports and to facilitate decision-making. Decision-makers at the regional and national level can easily access Lawin patrol reports generated at the field level.

Project Lawin was developed by the DENR and the B+WISER or biodiversity and watersheds improved for stronger economy and ecosystem resilience program of the United States Agency for International Development.

In the same month, the DENR marked the celebration of the World Wildlife Day with the unveiling of a life-size statue of an elephant made partly from the ashes of confiscated tusks destroyed during a landmark campaign against ivory trade in 2013.

Paje said the statue reminds everyone of the country’s support for global efforts against elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade. It now stands at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City, where the headquarters of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau is located.

The statue aims to enhance public awareness and support for worldwide efforts against illegal wildlife trade in compliance with the country’s commitment to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).

The Geneva-based CITES is an international treaty forged in 1973 to regulate commercial trade of certain wildlife species including the critically endangered elephants.

Paris signing

Almost two months later, the Philippines signed the landmark international climate agreement forged in Paris in December 2015.

The signing ceremony for the Paris accord coincided with the global observance of Earth Day on April 22.

Former president Benigno Aquino III authorized Paje to sign the Paris agreement.

At around the same time, a covenant signing on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions was being held at the DENR central office in Quezon City.

Government and non-government organizations as well as civic society groups committed to help reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent by 2030.

Through the covenant, the Philippines vowed to join a global effort to plant 7.8 billion trees that would absorb carbon emitted by industrial plants and vehicles.

Before Paje turned over the DENR leadership to his successor, the agency had imposed a new regulation on the issuance of environmental compliance certificates (ECC) for new mining operations.

The regulation was meant to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the mining sector. Only entities or corporations included in the government-issued mineral production sharing agreement or the financial or technical assistance agreement would be issued ECC.

When Gina Lopez took over as DENR chief, she ordered an audit of the mining operations and monitoring of ISO 14001 certification compliance.

Lopez said all mining companies should be certified in order to make them at par with global standards. The crackdown on erring mining companies had begun.

Lopez suspended eight mining firms over allegations of environmental crimes, violation of mining laws and non-compliance with the ISO requirement.

These firms are the Zambales Diversified Metals Corp., Benguetcorp Nickel Mines Inc., Eramin Minerals Inc. and the LNL Archipelago, all in Zambales; Ore Asia Mining Development Corp. in Bulacan; Berong Nickel Corp. and Citinickel Mines and Development Corp., both in Palawan, and the Claver Minerals in Surigao del Norte.

 The mining audit is composed of 16 teams of technical experts from DENR and other government agencies such as the Departments of Health and Agriculture as well as from civic groups.

Of the 41 metal mines currently operating in the country, 20 failed the audit and have been recommended for suspension.

Of the eight suspended mine firms, seven were suspended even before the audit was conducted and three others were issued suspension orders that were upheld by the audit team.

Eleven companies passed the audit. These are Philex Mining Corp., Rio Tuba Nickel, Atlas Mining Corp., Techiron Res. Inc., Cagdianao Mining Corp., Taganito Mining Corp., Platinum Group Metals Corp., Greenstone Resources Corp., Philsaga Mining Corp., Pacific Nickel Phils. Inc. and Claver Mineral Development Corp.

Lopez said the companies that failed the audit have submitted their explanations. The DENR will review and evaluate these in 2017.

She vowed to look into the concerns of farmers and indigenous people (IPs) displaced by the suspension of the mining operation and provide them livelihood assistance.

The DENR said it would take swift and effective action on the lumad’s complaints regarding destructive mining, illegal logging and other environment-sensitive activities in Mindanao.