A total of 9,220 migratory birds were found in Region XI during the bird watching/bird counting activity during the first quarter of 2012 exceeding the total number of 7,836 migratory birds counted last 2011.

Conducted by the Protected Areas and Wildlife Division (PAWD) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-XI (DENR-XI), the activity, which is in line with the Annual Asian Waterfowl Census (AWC) for migratory birds which aims to obtain information on the population of migratory birds at wetlands in the region as well as to monitor on an annual basis the status and condition of wetlands.

DENR-XI Regional Executive Director Jim O Sampulna said that the municipalities of Malalag, Carmen and Banaybanay are the only three identified temporary habitats of migratory birds in the month of January after crossing the continents.

The migratory birds are composed of different species like Godwit, Sand Plover, Common Greenshank and Black-winged Stilt to name a few.

AWC is an annual event which takes place during the second and third weeks of January. The census was initiated in 1987 in the Indian subcontinent and has grown rapidly to cover over 32 countries. (DENR-XI PR)

Migratory birds in Malalag, Davao del Sur.

Davao del Sur – The P7.2 million political boundary survey for Sta, Cruz, Davao del Sur was launched yesterday ( April 24) by the DENR-XI through its Lands Management Service (LMS) in order to define the metes and bounds of the 18 Barangays thereat.

The said launching was participated in by the Barangay Captains, municipal officials and other concerned agencies.

Sta. Cruz Vice- Mayor Alexis C. Almendras who represented Mayor Joel A. Lopez said that the political boundary survey for their municipality is a much awaited activity, hence the DENR is assured of the full support of their full support and cooperation.

Regional Technical Director (RTD) for LMS Atty. Felix S. Alicer oriented the Barangay Captains about the survey that will be conducted and informed them that it is one of the priority programs of DENR Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje. Alicer further stressed that the LGU will not be shedding any amount for the survey and technical assistance because it is being funded by the World Bank, therefore the LGU should take advantage of it. Alicer said that a technical conference will still be conducted for barangays with boundary conflicts, so that agreements can be reached if possible and their boundaries can be defined.

Political boundary survey is very important in order to hasten the quieting land titles in the country, thus preventing unnecessary land conflicts in the future. “Political boundaries give a particular city or locality areas/lines up to which a particular political entity can exercise its authority. It will also provide bases for the tourism, infrastructure, economic and development plans of a given Local Government Units (LGUs).

Political Boundary Survey is one of the activities under Cadastral Survey provided for in Republic Act 2259 or the Cadastral Act. Cadastral survey is an survey of extensive areas covering a municipality, city or a portion thereof for general land registration proceedings, agricultural development, and other purposes. It is geared towards establishing project control points, political boundaries and lot surveys. (Bing Cordova, DENR-XI, PR).

“We weave our Romblon mats and bags at dawn or when it is raining, We cannot weave when it is hot because the “Romblon” material that we use will break”, laments Mansueta Patrias, 55, when asked how climate change affected her bag and romblon- mat making alternative livelihood.

Mansueta added that unlike before, she can still weave bags or mats until 10:00 o’clock in the morning and continue weaving again at 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon. But now, weaving should start earlier that there are even times when she wakes up at 3:00 o’clock in the morning especially if she gets orders for her products. “Waking up at dawn simply means weaving more bags or mats” quips Mansueta.

As a member of the Nagkahiusang Kristohanong Mag-uuma sa Maputi (NAKRISMA), a people’s organization at Barangay Maputi, San Isidro, Davao Oriental, Mansueta along with the other men and women members of the organization are the living witnesses of how climate change have affected their community livelihood. Moreover, they come to realize that they ought to protect their forests and plant more trees to mitigate the effect of climate change on their water resources, agro-forestry farms and the production of the Romblon materials for bag and mat weaving.

Romblon is a variety of pandan species mainly used as raw materials for handicraft-making such as mats, bags and placemats. Ideally, romblon can be harvested in two years from the time of planting

Organized in 1993 under the Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-XI), NAKRISMA members were given the opportunity to improve their skills in seedling production, tree plantation and agro-forestry development and romblon mat-weaving. Even before the CBFM was launched in the area, romblon-mat weaving is already one of the alternative livelihoods of the women in the barangay, however their clients and designs were very limited and they were devoid of production equipments such as sewing machines and cauldron.

Out of the CBFM efforts through Forested Marylou Zarasate, the Romblon mat-weaving project was launched in 2004 under the Community Livelihood Special Project (CLASP). The women of NAKRISMA received PhP 70,000.00 for this project. As they improve their mat-weaving skills, they also learned to venture into making new designs for their bags.

As an offshoot, NAKRISMA won the Best Practices Certificate for the Dubai-United Arab Emirates and the United Nation Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) for their outstanding initiative on Romblon-mat weaving. The Dubai International Award for Best Practices (DIABP) plays a crucial role in the identification of best practices from around the world.

Winning the international award paved the way for the women and NAKRISMA’s product promotion, hence the demand for their mats and bags increased. The DENR, prompted by this development, immediately saw the need to also increase their “Romblon and Nito” plantations, thus the Romblon and Nito project was launched in June 2009 and another five-hectare was established under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) in 2010.

In support of the NAKRISMA endeavors, the New Zealand International Aid Development Agency (NZAID) also granted NAKRISMA PhP75,000.00 in 2011 which were used for trainings, construction of their production center and purchase of production equipments and supplies.

To ensure the sustainability of the livelihood of women and the effective protection of the forests within Barangay Maputi, DENR XI’s Regional Executive Director Jim O. Sampulna has instructed the CBFM Office and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Lupon, Davao Oriental to constantly monitor the organization and to give them the necessary technical assistance. “Our Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje has always been thankful to the different peoples’ organization like the NAKRISMA. He has ordered all the field offices in the country to strengthen the POs in order to propel them to help in the environmental management and protection activities of the department”, Sampulna added.

To date, women mat and bag weavers of NAKRISMA still continuously receive orders from various clients while adapting with changes in climate. Their greatest challenge nowadays is on sustaining the supply Romblon and Nito, coping with the market demands in terms of design and quality and expanding their markets.

“The link between climate change and mat weaving as well as its effect of this on the livelihood of women in San Isidro is evident. Adapting to the changes is imperative to sustain their economic endeavors. (Bing Cordova/DENR-XI PR).

A total of 561 pieces of illegally-cut forest products with a total volume of 178.33 cu.m. valued at PhP 1,055,000.00 were recently apprehended in Loreto, Agusan del Sur and Asuncion, Davao del Norte by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Apprehended at Sitio Marang, Brgy. Kasapa, Loreto Agusan del Sur were 411 pieces of lauan logs with an estimated value of PhP 940,000.00. These said logs were apprehended by a team composed of LGUs of Compostela Valley Province and Tagum City, Regional Task Force of Regions 11 and 13, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Nabunturan, Comval Province and the National Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force.

Moreover, another team apprehended one (1) Fuso ten-wheeler truck bearing plate number MVW 906 loaded with 150 pieces of mixed dipterocarp with a volume of 42 cu.m. valued at PhP 115,000.00 at Cabuaya, Asuncion, Davao del Norte. The apprehension was made LGU Tagum City, Military Intelligence Group XI and the National and Regional Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force.

It can be recalled that DENR Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje have ordered that effective March 1, 2012, all logs and lumber that are confiscated and found to have been derived from the country’s natural and residual forests shall be considered State property. Paje who chairs the National Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force (NAILTF) disclosed that the deadline for timber firms in transporting all monitored timber harvested from natural and residual forests as set in NAILTF Resolution No. 6 is last February 28, 2012.

DENR-XI Regional Executive Director Jim O Sampulna said that these confiscated forest products and the Fuso truck were already deposited at Tagum City Motorpol under the protected custody of Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy. “These confiscated forest products will be donated to the Department of Education (DepEd) to address shortages of school fixtures of some public schools in the region,” Sampulna added.

EO 23 is the “moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forest and creating the anti-illegal logging task force” issued by President Benigno S. Aquino III on February 1, 2011.

Under Section 2 of EO 23, DepEd are given priority in the case of all confiscated logs. DENR donated the said forest products to address shortages of chairs, tables, desks, fixtures and other infra-development projects of public schools. (DENR-XI PR)