Multi- Sectoral Forest Protection Council to intensify information education campaign on environment protection

By Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, January 16 (PIA)….. The need to intensify the information education campaign in instilling awareness among the constituency of the province of Sorsogon in the protection and conservation of the environment has been one of the agreements made during the 1^{st quarter} meeting of the Multi-Sectoral Forest Protection Council (MFPC) last week here at Villa Isabel.

“We have to intensify the awareness of the people in Sorsogon in terms of environmental protection and conservation given the disasters that struck the country based on man’s total disregard of the environment,” Andy Espinar, MFPC president said.

“While we have strengthened the apprehension activities of the MFPC through the active roles provided by the Philippine National Police, Philippine Army, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, awareness on the mitigation mechanisms to protect and conserve our environment is of utmost importance,” he said.

During the meeting the different sectoral groups were provided a working time to come up with their annual work plan to be collated as the provincial MFPC work and financial plan 2012 heightening information education campaign.

One of the concerns that have surfaced was to provide also provisions for livelihood component so that those that are engaged in illegal cutting of trees usually made into charcoal or practicing kaingin system should be identified and given assistance to refrain from their usual activity as this is detrimental to the immediate area where these activities are done should there be soil erosion and flooding.

The chair on the committee for livelihood Mr. Godofredo Ditan said that recommendation to local officials and other agencies that can provide the needed intervention should be given attention.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer, Rene Camacho said that he will give a copy of the environmental profile of the province as this will be the basis of the MFPC as a baseline data for dissemination and the benchmark for the local officials on what is the true condition of their municipalities in terms of forest cover to come up with their environmental plan and areas for reforestation.

The council also emphasized to all members to support the National Greening Program of the government, a strategy for environmental protection with the full assistance of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) providing seedlings and planting materials.

EDC-Environmental Management Department supervisor Henry Roy said that under their BINHI program, the company is pursuing to green the areas especially where geothermal plants were based.

An information dissemination campaign was conducted today at PBN-DZMS headed by the Philippine Information Agency , the Department of Education with the full support of Kapisanan ng Mga Broadcasters sa Pilipinas, Sorsogon Chapter president and MFPC chair Andy Espinar. (PIA-SORSOGON)