DENR Intensifies Climate Change Advocacy

PRESS RELEASE                                                            FOR REFERENCE
January 21, 2010                                                              ALFREDO S. ARAYA
                                                                                         Chief, Regional Public Affairs Office
                                                                                         Telefax: 4820857
                                                                                         Email: araya_rpao5denr@yahoo.com

DENR Intensifies Climate Change Advocacy

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources through its Environmental Management Bureau has been actively involved in climate change education, providing technical assistance to local government units in climate change mitigation and adaptation planning activities and intensifying enforcement of air pollution laws to contain emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming, EMB 2009 accomplishment report showed, says DENR Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus Fragada.

Fragada pointed out that Republic Act No. 9728 or the Climate Change Act of 2009 signed by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on October 23, 2009 particularly, Section 14 explicitly mandates local government units to be "the frontline agencies in the formulation, planning and implementation of climate change action plans in their respective areas".

DENR-EMB has been a continuing partner of local governments in initiating climate change solution such as the implementation of smoke belching regulation, which the local governments enforced with the assistance from DENR, to contain the excessive emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases from transport vehicles, provide technical support in the implementation of Ecological Waste Management, particularly in the establishment of material recovery facilities in the barangays and sanitary land fills, and recently in the LGU planning formulation of mitigation and adaptation projects to address global warming and climate change.

Environmental Management Bureau Regional Director Gilbert Gonzales reported that the following initiatives were undertaken last year relevant to climate change advocacy;

Conducted lectures on the following schedules:

    LGU's Training Course on Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Development Planning
    Topic: The Sustainable Environment on Climate Change
    July 3, 2009
    Carolyna Hotel, Tabaco City

    Luzon Forum on Building Disaster Resilient Communities
    Topic: EMB Programs on Climate Change
    September 10, 2009
    Casa Ofelia Resort, Mombon, Naga City

    Science Campus 2009
    Topic: Climate Change: A Distress of the World
    November 21, 2009
    Zamora Memorial College
    Bacacay, Albay

    Radio Interview
    Topic: Climate Change
    November 21, 2009
    DWCL, Legazpi City

    LGU's Training Course Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Development Planning Part II
    Topic: The Sustainable Environment on Climate Change
    December 19, 2009
    Carolyna Hotel, Tabaco City

Participant and resource persons on the following occasions;

    Regional Launching and Consultation on Integrating Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation in         Local Development and Decision-making Process
    November 25, 2009
    NEDA Conference Room, Legazpi City

    Climate Check for Local Platforms
    August 18-19, 2009
    Albay Provincial Capitol, Legazpi City

Intensified enforcement and monitoring of air pollution laws, regulations and compliance as indicated in the following activities;

    Conducted facility inspection of 21 registered Permit Emission Testing Centers in the region

    Conducted monitoring of 258 firms/industries on their Air Pollution Source and Control Efficiency to ensure that     emissions from its operations do not pose pollution or adverse environment impacts to the immediate     environment and population

    Conducted surveillance of 62 industrial Air Pollution Source and Control Efficiency without permit offering from     EMB.

    Conducted seven stack sampling tests

Fragada also said that the DENR Regional Public Affairs Office (RPAO) has been complementing the climate change advocacy of the EMB thru press and broadcast releases to local newspapers, radio and television, and production of information materials on climate change which are distributed to school libraries, barangay information centers (GMACs) and other institutions and individuals. The DENR-RPAO staff also provided library services and assistance to researchers on climate change. Fragada recently created the Climate Change Regional Desk which will provide focus assistance to students, teachers, local government officials and other persons seeking information on climate change.- Arthur M. Contreras