No fish kill in Malaguit River

DENR News Release

Paracale, Camarines Norte--The Department of Environment and Natural Resources through the Environmental Management Bureau V allayed fears of fish kill in Malaguit River, Paracale, Camarines Norte allegedly due to small scale gold processing operations.

EMB Regional Director Gilbert Gonzales reported that the Bureau’s investigators found no fish kill in the areas traversed by Malaguit River on October 17, 2010.

“However minimal fish kill was noted at the mouth of Matanlang river, a tributary upstream of Malaguit River,” Engr. Henry Lopez, Provincial Environmental Management Officer (PEMO) of Camarines Norte clarified in his report.

EMB investigators observed floating dead fish (2 species Midyad & Butete) along Matanlang stream believed to be in decaying stage due to its foul stench.

            “The dead fish observed in the upstream of Malaguit River were either remains of poisoned fishes by fishermen or from the remains of fishponds clearing after harvest,” Lopez added.

He cited Malaguit Punong Barangay Zaldy Moya’s account on local fishermen’s practices wherein they apply “sosa” or “bayate” (poison) in fishing. According to Moya, the practice involves installing a net at the mouth of the river during high tide and when low tide occurs they gather the catch utilizing poison to hasten their work.

To verify allegations of mine tailings overflow, EMB investigators inspected the tailings pond of small scale gold processing plants in Brgy. Tugos, Paracale for seepage, but no leaks were discovered. The Bureau assured a close monitoring of the tailings pond and the sources of chemicals which might have been used by some fishermen in illegal fishing.

Earlier, Governor Edgardo Tallado requested the EMB to check reports of fish kill in Malaguit River allegedly caused by mine tailings seepage. Tallado said despite compliance by small scale gold processing plants with environmental permits, it is the provincial government’s utmost priority to determine the possible cause and who will be held responsible in the incident. (ASAraya, DENRV)

DENR puts more bite in fight vs. wildlife crime

DENR News Release

Gone are the days of wildlife crime cases being thrown out of the courtroom or dismissed by state prosecutors due to “inadmissability” or “weak evidence,” all because of small but costly procedural lapses made by wildlife officers during an arrest or apprehension.

Wildlife officers are now better able to lodge airtight cases in court and score convictions against wildlife criminals, thanks to the “Wildlife Law Enforcement Manual of Operations” (WLEMO) which is now a must for all wildlife law enforcers to know by heart.

This after Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje issued Memorandum Circular 2010-17 calling for the adoption of the WLEMO which, he said, shall serve as guide in the enforcement of Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001.

The manual, according to Paje, was subjected to thorough evaluations by no less than members of DENR wildlife traffic monitoring units and wildlife enforcement officers, Deputy/Special Deputy Environment and Natural Resources Officers (DENRO/SDENROS) and wildlife enforcement officers (WEO) who are mostly volunteers from private and public agencies helping in combatting illegal wildlife trade.

WEOs, which  currently number  1,076, are authrorized to seize illegally collected, possessed and traded wildlife resources; arrest even without warrant any person who has committed, is committing or is in the act of committing any of the offenses enumerated in RA  9147,  and assist in the filing of appropriate complaints against violators of the Act.

The WLEMO will be distributed nationwide through the DENR’s Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) and its 16 regional offices which are also ordered to hold seminar and trainings “to ensure efficient and application of the Manual of Operations by all concerned.”

Paje expressed optimistism that the WLEMO will help reduce delay in the trial and prosecution of offencers as it will vastly improve the quality of evidence- gathering for cases presented to the prosecutors.

According to PAWB Director Theresa Mundita Lim, only five cases had been fully documented and filed in court from more than 45 incidences of illegal collection, possession, transport and/or trade of wildlife species recorded by her office from January 2007 to May, 2010. 

               “The manual provides the set of standards and protocols on monitoring wildlife transport and trade,” Lim said, citing that the effort to develop the manual has brought together the expertise of  11 government entities of six national agencies involved in enforcement and prosecution, namely : the Department of Justice (Office of the State Prosecutor and National Bureau of Investigation),  Department of Finance (Bureau of Customs),  Department of Interior and Local Government  ( Philippine National Police and  Local Government Units), Department of National Defense (Armed Forces of the Philippines),  Department of  Transportation and Communication (Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority and Manila International Airport Authority), and  Department of Agriculture  (Bureaus of Fisheries &Aquatic Resources and Plant Industry).

The development of the WLEMO was strongly supported by the Development Academy of the Philippines and the United States Department of Interior, with valuable assistance of Tanggol Kalikasan legal experts.

Illustrated flowcharts are provided in the manual, from investigation to filing and prosecution of cases, giving users easy reference on the rules of engagement in the planning and executing of an apprehension or raid in accordance with existing laws, especially on matters like warrantless arrests, securing search warrants, conducting surveillances and inspections. 

The WLEMO also contains photos of all threatened wildlife species that are subject for confiscation and the directory of all WEOs.

The manual is divided into three books, each broken into chapters. Book 1 details relevant wildlife policies being implemented by the DENR;

Book II provides for the protocols on investigation and surveillance, arrest and search, detention and seizure; seizure and handling, and filing and prosecution of cases, they came into full consideration the Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases issued by the Supreme Court in April 2010.

Another chapter presents a set of protocols to address implementation gaps in wildlife law enforcement scenarios in airports and seaports while another outlines the protocols to be observed relating to the custody of seized and confiscated wildlife specimens, by-products and derivatives.

Book III consists of standard monitoring, reporting and documentary forms to facilitate the prosecution of wildlife-related cases. (DENR-V)

LAND ACQUISITION GETS TOUGHER THIS TIME

News Release

Felix E. Fruto, OIC PARO I during the 
11th MARO conference.

PROVINCE OF SORSOGON – Land acquisition and distribution at this point in time is getting tougher and tougher for the technical personnel of Department of Agrarian Reform Provincial Office (DARPO) Sorsogon.

Unlike the previous years where accomplishment of land acquisition and distribution activities is counted according to provincial boundaries, now, there are no more provincial boundaries.

According to Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Roseller Olayres, this year, DAR Central Office was given a target of 1,200 hectares for Sorsogon based on Municipal Agrarian Reform Officers’ (MARO) commitments and 2009 balances.

“However, Provincial Planning Units’ (PPU) thorough review of Landowners’ Claim Folders (CFs) reveals that most of the landholdings are not deliverable until the end of 2010 due to the lack of necessary documents that cannot be secured until this year,” he added.

Carmen Sorita, CARPO for BDCD

“New provision says that all CFs will be submitted to DARPO. And I have told our CARP Officer here to make a tracking on these to monitor the movement. If after three weeks, no movement was seen, the CFs will be returned to MARO,” Olayres said during the 11^th MARO Conference.

Olayres also said that distribution of landholdings is impeded when a contractor of a survey do not submit the survey returns in due time.

And in order that LAD documentation target may be completed, twenty four field personnel are radiating in the provinces of Camarines Sur and Masbate to fulfill their targets. Each technical personnel are expected to deliver 60 hectares of landholdings by the end of 2010. (AJArbolente/PIA)

TESDA SORSOGON NAGBABALA SA PUBLIKO NA MAGING MAINGAT LABAN SA MGA PATRAINING NG MGA ILEGAL RECRUITERS

Tagalog News Release

SORSOGON CITY (Nov. 19) – Nagbabala si Marilou Macabuhay, Supervising Officer ng Technical Skills and Development Authority Sorsogon sa publiko na maging maingat sa mga imbitasyon ng ilang mga nagpapanggap na kumpanya at nagsasagawa ng mga pagsasanay dahilan sa marami na diumanong nabibiktima ang mga ito hindi lamang sa Metro Manila kundi lalong-lalo na sa mga probinsya.

Ito ay matapos na makarating sa kanilang tanggapan na may ilang mga Sorsoganong napaniwala na at naisailalim sa mga diumano’y pa-training ng ilang nagpapanggap na kumpanya gamit ang tanggapan ng TESDA.

Ipinayo ni Macabuhay sa publiko partikular sa mga magulang na mangyaring alamin muna nila ng maigi kung talagang lihitimo ang isinasagawang pagsasanay ng ilang mga pinapangalanang kumpanya lalo pa’t mga menor de edad ang kadalasang nire-recruit ng mga ito.

Aniya, bago sila magdesisyong lumahok sa kaaya-aya sa pandinig na mga mga imbitasyon, lalo kapag mataas diumano ang pinapasahod ay ipagbigay-alam ito sa mga kinauukulan at magtanong sa mga sinasabing kumpanya upang malaman kung talagang legal ang kanilang isinasagawang pa-training at job hiring.

Matatandaang noong Biyernes, Nobyembre 12, ay dalawang kabataan ang nag-usisa at nagpaabot ng impormasyon sa pamamagitan ng radio kung saan nakatakda anila silang dalhin ngayong lingo ng mga recruiters sa Maynila upang magsimulang magtrabaho doon na nang maberipika ay wala palang katotohanan.

Sa kasalukuyan ay iniimbestigasyon ng ng mga awtoridad ang pangyayari at inaasahang sa lalong madaling panahon ay mahuhulog din sa kamay nila ang mga gumagawa ng modus operanding tulad nito.  (Bennie Recebido/Jun Tumalad, PIA Sorsogon)

MT. BULUSAN UPDATES

News Release

SORSOGON PROVINCE (Nov. 19) – Nananatiling nasa alert level 1 at tahimik ang Bulkang Bulusan sa nakalipas na tatlong araw. Patuloy din ang abiso ng Phivolcs sa publiko lalo na sa mga residenteng malapit sa paanan ng bulkan na maging alerto at maingat sa lahat ng oras.

Kahapon, sa isinagawang Preparedness Drill na pinangunahan ng Philippine Army kaugnay ng aktibidad ngayon ng Mt. Bulusan, tiniyak ni Maj. Gen. Ruperto Pabustan, Commanding Officer ng 9^th Infantry Division, Philippine Army sa mga Sorsoganon ang kahandaan ng Philippine Army hindi lamang sa pagsusulong ng kapayapaan at pag-unlad ng komunidad kundi maging sa panahong may mga nakaambang panganib sanhi ng natural na mga kalamidad tulad ng pagsabog ng bulkan.

Tatlumpu’t-anim na mga behukulo ng Philippine Army at iba pang mga kagamitang pantugon sa pagliligtas ng buhay ang ipinakita nito na gagamiting pantulong kung kailanganin, sakaling itaas sa alert level 2 ang estado ng bulking Bulusan.

Sinabi din ni Pabustan na ang aktibidad kahapon ay isang patunay na dapat na magtiwala ang publiko sa kapasidad ng pamahalaan pagdating sa Disaster Risk Reduction and Management preparedness nito.

Sinabi naman ni Office of Civil Defense Bicol Head Bernardo Alejandro IV na nakahanda din ang OCD at Regional DRRMC V hindi upang palitan ang mga local disaster frontliners nito, kundi upang sumuporta sa mga kakulangan at iba pang mga pangangailangan ng local na pamahalaan ng Sorsogon.

Ang PDRRMC pa rin diumano ang lead actors habang sila naman aniya ang pupuno sa mga gap o kakulangan ayon sa nakasaad sa contingency plan ng probinsya. (Bennie A. Recebido, PIA Sorsogon)

PIA SIC with TV media Friends

PIA SIC STAFF BONDING MOMENT WITH 

LOCAL TV MEDIA FRIENDS 

(AITV5 & CATLINK)

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS DRILL

SORSOGON PROVINCE – PIA Sorsogon ICM Irma Guhit with Sangguniang Panlalawigan Board Member Becky Aquino and Maj. Gen. Ruperto R. Pabustan, Commanding Officer, 9th ID, PA during the Preparedness Drill conducted here, Nov. 18, dubbed as “A Show-off of Assets from Different Lead Agencies Involved in Preparedness for the Mt. Bulusan Activity in the province of Sorsogon”. (Bennie A. Recebido/Photo Courtesy of Glena Lopez, PPDO)

PREPAREDNESS DRILL ON MT. BULUSAN ACTIVITIES

SORSOGON PROVINCE – The Phil. Army, Office of the Civil Defense V and the Philippine National Police here pronounced their readiness to be partners in development, peace and security especially in disaster risk reduction efforts, during the Disaster Preparedness Drill involving Mt. Bulusan activity which was conducted in this province this morning,. They also said that the activity will provide the public the trust in government’s capability to be always in the frontline. (Photo Courtesy of Glena Lopez, PPDO/PIA Sorsogon)