People’s Journal: P-Noy urged to include LGUs in NCCAP

P-Noy urged to include LGUs in NCCAP
OPINION/BUSINESS
Tuesday, Novemberr 29, 2011
Page 5

BUDGET activists welcomed Pres. Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III’s recent approval of the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) which will serve as the country’s roadmap in the fight against climate change.

Roland Cabigas, managing director of the La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) however said, Pres. Aquino, the concurrent chairman of the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje, his alter-ego in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) should be able to forge and strengthen partnership with local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders, including the private sector, nongovernment organizations, people’s organizations, church and basic subsectors, for the successful implementation of NCCAP.

The NCCAP was drafted by CCC after a series of consultation with various stakeholders.

P-Noy’s approval of NCCAP, it will now be implemented by various government agencies led by the DENR, can now implemented the program. Paje is also chairman of the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change.

Cabigas said the President should make sure that these courses of action to be undertaken by the government as part of NCCAP should help strengthen the country’s adaptive capacities and resiliency to extreme weather events such as excessive rains or long season of droughts; super typhoons, flashfloods, landslides, storm surges, or even earthquakes.

He said it should be properly funded by the government, so that it will not just be another unfunded mandate which has yet to be fully implemented because of lack of funds.

According to Cabigas, the CCCC under P-Noy and Vice Chairman Lucille Sering, who coordinates all adaptation and mitigation measures of the government as well as other private sector-partners and the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change led by Paje should formulate mechanism on its localization for adoption by LGUs.

Cabigas said there should be a clear guideline on how the plan will be implemented at the local level by concerned LGUs, who are looking forward to being a part of NCCAP’s implementation in their respective localities.

La liga, a development policy research and advocacy nongovernment organization, is pushing for a more “climate sensitive” National budget for 2012 and is seeking an increase of P17.3 billion for the environment and natural resources sector over and above Malacanang’s budget proposals.

The convening organization of the Alternative Budget Initiative – Environment Cluster and the Caucus to Green the MTPDP, La Liga has also tagged a total of P100 billion potential climate change funds in the 2011 budget, which the government should be able to use appropriately to implement various disaster risk reduction and management plans and strengthen the country’s resiliency to natural disasters.

Cabigas said LGUs are in the best position to identify programs and projects, and take courses of action, that will address the woes of the highly at-risk and vulnerable sectors to the adverse impacts of climate change.

“While some LGUs have recognized the need to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in their local development plans, it is important that their various initiatives will get the much-needed boost from the national government in terms of programs, plans and more importantly, budget,” Cabigas said.

He noted that LGUs in the town of Pangasinan, namely Alaminos City, Bani, Burgos, and Dasol, have already taken steps to institutionalize funding for DRR and climate change adaptation measures through their integration in the annual investment plans (AIPs), most LGUs still lack the financial resources to be able to respond to the challenges of intensifying typhoons that perennially cause loss of lives, property and livelihood, not to mention massive destruction of farms that affect the poorest of the poor.

During their 3rd Philippine Cities Global Convention and Exposition held at the Resorts World early this month, the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) declared support behind the DENR’S “Adaptayo Campaign: Our Nation’s Call for Climate Change Adaptation.”

In its declaration, the LCP said the climate crisis necessitates that climate change adaptation must be integrated as a key element in local development plans and programs.

It also called on the 122-member cities to integrate disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation in the local development plans.

The initiative, Cabigas said, should be complemented by the national government by including the LGUs in identifying specific courses of action leading to successful implementation of the NCCAP.

“The LGUs are at the frontline of the war against hunger and poverty, both of which depends heavily on the resiliency and adaptive capacity of local communities to the perennial problems brought about by intensifying typhoons and flashfloods that is severely affecting local economic development,” Cabigas said.

La Liga believes that the NCCAP, being the country’s roadmap to fighting climate change woes should promote inclusive growth, adequately funded, and accessible to the most vulnerable LGUs that needs them most

The Manila Times: Group tags P100-billion ‘climate change-related’ funds in 2012 budget

Group tags P100-billion ‘climate change-related’ funds in 2012 budget
The Sunday Times Magazine
Published : Sunday, October 09, 2011
Written by : La Liga Policy Institute
Page b8

A total of P100 billion has been tagged by budget activists in the 2012 National Expenditure Program as potential climate change-related funds which can be used to strengthen the country’s institutional capacity to adapt to climate change next year.

Jonathan Ronquillo, environment campaigner of the La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) said the total amount was tagged from different budget line items across 14 different departments, agencies and bureaus with climate change mandates.

The group believes that such budget should be released on time, and used according to their purpose, to strengthen the country’s adaptive and coping capacity to the worse type of natural and man-made disasters.

“Tagging the climate change-related fund in the annual appropriation gives citizens organizations and national line agencies a guide and handle as to how much funds can be tapped or be made available in the NEP for allocation that will finance the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan,” Ronquillo explained.

The group issued the statement as Typhoon Pedring wrought havoc last week.

According to Ronquillo, the budget tagged by the group provides an important indicator for local governments to understand how much funds for climate change initiatives and programs are allocated in the 2012 NEP, which they can maximize as possible sources to co-finance LGU-initiated local environment projects.

For DRR, the group tagged a total of P143.6; P 15.58 billion for Sustainable Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry; P759.27 million for Renewable Energy; P9.36 billion for Clean and Green Industrial Technology; P1 billion for contingency and P36 billion from the impounded budget or unreleased fund representing 2010 and 2011.

Ronquillo explained that climate change mandates include plans, programs and activities related to various adaptation and mitigation measures, including disaster risk reduction.

According to Ronquillo, La Liga, after a thorough research was able to identify these budget line items that are included in the NEP submitted by Malacañang to Congress for 2012.

“If properly utilized, this budget can be an instrument in strategically addressing the vulnerability of the Philippines to disasters, especially when the country is faced with the worse impacts of climate change,” Ronquillo pointed out.

La Liga, the convening organization of the Environment Cluster of the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) and Caucus to Green the MTPDP started budget-tagging last year, to determine a basic baseline on public finance for climate change.

According to Ronquillo, the “tagging” was also adopted by the Climate Change Commission (CCC) in determining the level of government-led climate financing in the processes to develop the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP).

La Liga urged Budget Secretary Butch Abad and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, who is also the head of the cabinet cluster on climate change, as well as Secretary Lucille Sering of CCC, the over-all coordinating body when it comes to climate change, to initiate coordination efforts to ensure the accountability of climate change-related funds and ensure participation of, and cooperation with citizens groups for climate change budget execution, monitoring and tracking.

Retrieved from:

http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/sunday-times/the-sunday-times-magazines/8897-group-tags-p100-billion-climate-change-related-funds-in-2012-budget

Business Mirror: Group seeks release of climate-change funds

Group seeks release of climate-change funds
MONDAY, 03 OCTOBER 2011 JONATHAN MAYUGA / CORRESPONDENT
PAGE A4

BUDGET activists urged concerned government officials to ensure the timely release and use of climate change-related budgets to strengthen the country’s institutional capacity to adapt to climate change.

The La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) made the call as Typhoon Pedring wrought havoc in Luzon last week, with estimated damage to properties and agriculture, reaching at least P1 billion.

The group, which acts as the convening organization of the Environment Cluster of the Alternative Budget Initiative (ABI) identified budget items with a total amount of at least P1 billion in the 2012 National Expenditure Program as potential climate change-related funds which can be used to strengthen the country’s institutional capacity to adapt to climate change next year.

In particular, La Liga appealed to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, who is also the head of the Cabinet cluster on climate change, as well as Secretary Lucille Sering of the Climate Change Commission (CCC), the over-all coordinating body when it comes to climate change, to initiate coordination efforts to ensure the accountability of climate-change-related funds and ensure participation of and cooperation with citizens groups for climate-change budget execution, monitoring and tracking.

Jonathan Ronquillo, environment campaigner of La Liga, said the total amount was tagged from different budget line items in 14 departments, agencies and bureaus with climate-change mandates.

The group believes that such budget should be released on time, and used according to its purpose that is to strengthen the country’s adaptive and coping capacity to the worse type of natural and man-made disasters.

“Tagging the climate change-related fund in the annual appropriation gives citizens organizations and national line agencies a guide and handle as to how much funds can be tapped or be made available in the NEP for allocation that will finance the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan,” Ronquillo explained.

He said the budget tagged by the group provides an important indicator for local governments to understand how much funds for climate-change initiatives and programs are allocated in the 2012 NEP, which they can maximize as possible sources to co-finance LGU-initiated local environment projects.

Retrieved from:

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/nation/17315-group-seeks-release-of-climate-change-funds

Tempo: P100B in climate change funds

P100B in climate change funds
Posted by Online on Oct 3rd, 2011
PAGE 4

Manila, Philippines – No less than P100 billion in the 2012 National Expenditure Program (NEP) is potentially climate change-related and could be used to fortify the country’s capacity to adapt to climate change.

Jonathan Ronquillo, environment campaigner of the La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga), said the amount was found in budget line items across 14 different departments, agencies, and bureaus with climate change mandates.

The group believes that such budget should be released in time and used to strengthen the country’s adaptive and coping capacity to the worst type of natural and man-made disasters.

“Tagging the climate change-related fund in the annual appropriation gives citizen’s organizations and national line agencies a guide and handle as to how much funds can be tapped or be made available in the NEP for allocation that will finance the implementation of the National Climate Change Action Plan,” Ronquillo explained.

The group issued the statement as typhoon “Pedring” wreakled havoc last week.

According to Ronquillo, the budget tagged by the group provides an important indicator for local government units (LGUs) to understand how much funds for climate change initiatives and programs are allocated in the 2012 NEP that they can maximize as possible sources to co-finance LGU-initiated local environment projects. (Marvyn N. Benaning)

Retrieved from:

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2011/p100b-in-climate-change-funds/

People’s Journal: Ban asbestos now!

Ban asbestos now!
Editorial
Published : Saturday, September 03, 2011

Official accountability and public safety are two of our main concerns.

Our job is to uphold the public interest and hold public officials to account for their inaction or excesses.

We have consistently supported the Ecowaste Coalition, Greenpeace, and even the La Liga Policy Institute in so many health, environmental, and developmental advocacies in pursuit of sustainable development and efficient resource management.

There is a great need for a better understanding of the hazards posed by certain toxic substances that are quite ironically still being used as we pursue a modern lifestyle.

One of these is asbestos — a type of mineral that has been commonly used for commercial purposes.

Scientists and doctors have linked all forms of asbestos to the development of serious health conditions such as cancer.

In the 2003 Vermont Medical Center study “Multiple Roles of Oxidants in the Pathogenesis of Asbestos-Induced Diseases,” researchers found that oxidants found in two forms of asbestos had a damaging effect on DNA and may contribute to lung injuries.

A 2010 study by the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation and the National Cancer Institute located a protein, the presence of which can lead to an inflammatory reaction that causes tumor growth.

The study also found that asbestos fibers in the human body kill a cell through “programmed cell necrosis” or cell suicide. At very high concentrations, asbestos fibers can cause the formation of lesions because the human body is not able to expel the fibers once they have entered the body.

The majority of asbestos-related incidences that occur each year are the result of occupational exposure. Higher workforce death rates have been associated with industries that had a history of working with asbestos.

Some common industries that produced or manufactured products using asbestos include shipyards, construction and power plants.

According to the World Health Organization, about 125 million people have been exposed to asbestos at the workplace, and more than 107,000 workers around the world die every year from asbestos-related diseases.

Closer to home, the Associated Labor Unions’ Ban-Asbestos Education and Signature Campaign in schools discovered a need for a massive information campaign among Filipino youths about the hazards and risks of asbestos exposure.

“Based on the quality and the direction of the questions they raised, it is clear proof that there is an urgent need for them, as our future workers, to be educated pervasively about asbestos. This is an inter-generational burden that they must know and confront. We must do something about it, now,” said Gerard Seno, ALU national vice president and Ban Asbestos Philippines Campaign Coordinator.

ALU’s Ban Asbestos Philippines brought the campaign in public high schools last week in a bid to educate students about asbestos and make them sign a petition letter which calls for concerned senators and congressmen to take up the bills.

The inter-school lecture focuses on what is asbestos, where it can be found, and how does the ban asbestos bill can deal with this carcinogenic dust fibers. In the open forum after the lecture, students asked questions and then they were asked to sign a petition urging legislators to act on the proposed statute.

The House Bill 89 and the Senate Bill 896 banning the importation, use, and manufacture of asbestos in the country are now pending in both houses.

Government occupational experts estimated there are 1.3 million Filipino workers who are significantly exposed to asbestos dust in their workplace every day.

The National Statistics Office said in 2000 that there are 66,123 housing units with asbestos containing materials.

The Lung Center of the Philippines and the Philippine Cancer Society have recorded in seven years 12 cases of cancers caused by exposure to asbestos dust fibers beginning the year 2000.

Our best bet: Ban asbestos now!

Retrieved from:

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/news/editorial/12579-ban-asbestos-now

Manila Bulletin: LGUs press climate change investments

LGUs press climate change investments
By MARVYN N. BENANING
September 1, 2011
Page B-5

MANILA, Philippines — The La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) is supporting calls for local government units (LGUs) to integrate climate change adaptation (CCA) and disaster risk reduction (DRR) plans in their annual investment plans (AIPs).

La Liga environmental campaigner Jonathan Ronquillo said by doing so, LGUs can enhance their resilience against the deleterious impact of climate change.

By institutionalizing support in terms of policy, programs and funding through the integration of CCA and DRR, the AIPs can promote disaster-ready cities and communities.

Ronquillo backed the call of Environment Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje for LGUs to do so as he turned over a six-wheeler truck and 5,000 board feet of seized lumber to the provincial government of Albay for its reconstruction efforts after suffering from the wrath of “Juaning.”

He said Paje’s call was timely since LGUs are currently crafting their AIPs.

Last week, the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), through secretary general and Alaminos City Mayor Hernani A. Braganza, revealed that the league came up with a resolution recognizing CCA and DRR as key development issues that need to be addressed.

Speaking before the First Summit of City Councilors of the Philippine Councilors League (PCL) at the Baguio Convention Center, Braganza highlighted the need to prepare for typhoons like “Cosme” and “Emong” that wrought havoc on Alaminos City.

“These kinds of disasters are bad for business, it hampers delivery of social services on health and education, and aggravates the plight of vulnerable and poor sectors and destroys critical infrastructure,” Braganza stressed.

He said Alaminos City has invested in the “3 Ps” or policies, programs and projects on CCA and DRR, by ensuring environmental sustainability, reducing risks and vulnerabilities, providing quick response for rescue, relief and rehabilitation when disaster strikes.

“These localized, mainstreamed and institutionalized CCA and DRR actions should be on the basis of ‘what and where’ they mattered most,” Ronquillo stressed.

According to Ronquillo, in dealing with the worst impacts of climate change, the Philippines should “engage globally, but think locally” by focusing more on how to adapt to the devastating effects of natural disasters such as flashfloods and landslides and plan strategically but act with dispatch to ensure sustainable growth and development.

Retrieved from:

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/332665/lgus-press-climate-change-investments

People’s Journal: Disaster-ready communities

Disaster-ready communities
Published : Sunday, August 28, 2011 00:00
Written by : People’s Journal

Success is all in the planning.

And the survival of communities during this typhoon season is all in the details of disaster risk-reduction plans. That is, they should be target-specific.

But more than this, they should be adequately funded. In fact, such funding allocation should be automatic or built into local public investment programs.

And so we agree with and support calls for local government units to integrate climate change adaptation and disaster risk-reduction plans in the annual investment plan to enhance their resilience against the worst impacts of climate change.

Jonathan Ronquillo, environment campaigner of socio-economic think tank La Liga Policy Institute said institutionalizing support in terms of policy, programs and funding, through the integration of specific climate-change adaptation and mitigation measures as well as disaster risk-reduction plan in the annual investment plan that would promote disaster-ready cities and communities.

The call was made even more compelling as Typhoon Mina made a landfall early yesterday but has weakened as it spurred toward the coastal areas of Cagayan province.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the typhoon landed over Gonzaga town past 10 a.m. yesterday.

It has maintained its maximum sustained wind of 195 kph and gustiness of up to 230 kph. It, however, slowed down to 7 kph from 9 kph. Mina is expected to be at 80 km north of Aparri, Cagayan on Sunday morning.

Storm warning signal 4 was raised over northern Cagayan yesterday afternoon as Mina (international name Nanmadol) continued to intensify as it moved closer to Northern Luzon.

Signal 3 was hoisted over Isabela and the rest of Cagayan, as well as Calayan, Babuyan and Batanes Group of Islands. Northern Aurora, Quirino, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Kalinga and Apayao were placed under storm signal 2 while the rest of Aurora, Nueva Vizcaya, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Abra were placed under signal 1.

Disaster officials also evacuated 13 families from the coastal town of Macunacon, Isabela as a precautionary measure.

The Cagayan Valley’s Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council also warned residents living along riverbanks and mountain areas of possible flashfloods and landslides as rains continued to pour in the region.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje who earlier urged LGUs to integrate CCA and DRR in the AIP of LGUs as he turned over a six-wheeler truck and 5,000 board feet of seized lumber to the provincial government of Albay to boost its rehabilitation and reconstruction effort in the province following the devastation it suffered from typhoon Juaning.

The call was timely, Ronquillo noted, as LGUs are currently in the process of crafting their AIPs, which highlights the local budget processes.

Last week, the League of Cities of the Philippines through Alaminos City Mayor Hernani A. Braganza, its secretary general, revealed that the LCP, as a major output of its recent General Assembly came up with a resolution recognizing CCA and DRR as key development issues that need to be addressed and mainstreamed in local development planning processes.

The resolution also calls for the integration of CCA and DRR in the annual investment plans of key cities and LCP being an engine of green growth should form LGU cluster alliances to enhance their individual and collective capacities to cope with disasters.

Retrieved from:

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/news/editorial/12186-disaster-ready-communities

The Manila Times: Increased Public Spending For Forest Protection, Rehabilitation Needed

Increased Public Spending For Forest Protection, Rehabilitation Needed

By La Liga Policy Institute

The Sunday Times Magazine

June 26, 2011

Page b8

THE discovery of seven previously unknown mammal species in Luzon by a group of American and Filipino biologists recently underscores the need to further enhance forest protection and rehabilitation effort in the country, the La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) said.

Such requires increased public expenditure by national and concerned local governments on one hand, and community support on the other, to ensure that destructive human activities are stopped to allow nature to nourish back to life the country’s denuded forests, Jonathan Ronquillo, environment campaigner of La Liga stressed.

The Philippines is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world yet it is also noted to have the fastest rate of deforestation and biodiversity loss, which La Liga believes is because of the lack of fund to protect the forest from illegal activities, and promote the sustainable use of the country’s natural wealth among the people living in upland areas.

“The discovery of this seven new species of forest mice in Luzon should give us more reasons to be protective of our forests from further destruction. In fact, adequate fund should be made available for the rehabilitation of our country’s denuded forests, particularly our so-called Protected Areas and National Parks,” Ronquillo added.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), all of the seven species are forest mice belonging to the genus Apomys and live only in a small part of Luzon.

The discovery increased the number of native mammals—excluding bats—in the country’s largest island from 42 percent to 49 percent, or up by 17 percent.

Two of the species live in, or are endemic to, Mount Tapulao in Zambales; two in Mount Banahaw; another two in the Mingan Mountains of Aurora Province; and the remaining specie in the Sierra Madre mountain range of northeastern Luzon.

La Liga has been pushing for increased budget allocation for the environment and natural resources sector, including the development and rehabilitation of some of the country’s Protected Areas and National Parks in the amount of P35 million, or 5 million each for the Tubbataha Reef, the Apo reef, Mts. Banahaw and San Cristobal, Mount Kitanglad, the Northern Negros National Park, Central Cebu National Park and Mount Kanlaon National Park.

The group is also pushing for an increase of P200 million in the DENR’s budget for operations, specifically for the implementation of Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) projects all over the country.

Currently, the 2011 National budget allocates no specific amount for the rehabilitation and protection of any of the 209 Protected Areas and National Parks all over the country, which means any project intended for these important wildlife habitats could only come from the budget of the Office of the Secretary of the DENR. Meanwhile, its budget for operations for CBFM is P103 million, which is far below what the group believes is needed to encourage community support behind the government’s protection and rehabilitation efforts and initiatives.

La Liga is also proposing a new budget line item for the DENR, specifically for the establishment of marine sanctuaries and the implementation of coastal resource management program in the amount of P60 million, or P10 million each for six critical coastal habitats in Lingayen Gulf (Pangasinan), Tayabas Bay (Quezon), Visayan Sea (Panay-Masbate), Cebu Strait (Cebu-Bohol), Panguil Bay (Misamis Oriental) and Macalajar Bay.

Retrieved from:

http://www.manilatimes.net/sunday-times/sunday-magazine/increased-public-spending-for-forest-protection-rehabilitation-needed/

Business Mirror: NGO urges to protect forest

NGO urges to protect forest

WEDNESDAY, 22 JUNE 2011 JONATHAN MAYUGA / CORRESPONDENT

B2-2

THE nongovernmental organization (NGO) La Liga Policy Institute (La Liga) on Tuesday underscored the need to protect the country’s forests, particularly the so-called protected areas and national parks, which remain highly vulnerable to destructive human activities.

La Liga said the high rate of forest destruction also accelerates biodiversity loss, with endemic species of flora and fauna becoming extinct before they are even discovered.

Jonathan Ronquillo, La Liga environment campaigner, said extinction of endemic species such as the Philippine tamaraw, the national animal, can be prevented through increased public spending for forest protection and rehabilitation. The recent discovery of seven previously unknown mammal species in Luzon by a group of American and Filipino biologists recently underscores such need.

Ronquillo said increased public expenditure by national and concerned local governments, on one hand, and community support, on the other, to ensure that destructive human activities are stopped will allow nature to nourish back itself to life.

“The discovery of this seven new species of forest mice in Luzon should give us more reasons to be protective of our forests.  In fact, adequate fund should be made available for the rehabilitation of our country’s denuded forests, particularly our so-called protected areas and national parks,” he said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said all of the seven species of forest mice belong to the genus Apomys and live only in a small part of Luzon.  The discovery increased the number of native mammals—excluding bats—in the country’s largest island from 42 to 49, or up by 17 percent.

La Liga has been pushing for increased budget allocation for the environment and natural resources sector, including the development and rehabilitation of some of the country’s protected areas and national parks in the amount of P35 million, or P5 million each for the Tubbataha Reef, the Apo Reef, Mt. Banahaw and Mt. San Cristobal, Mt. Kitanglad, the Northern Negros National Park, Central Cebu National Park and Mt. Kanlaon National Park.

Retrieved from:

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/regions/12751-salceda-opposes-future-mining-in-albay-province

People’s Journal: Funding forestry

Funding forestry

Editorial

Published : Monday, June 20, 2011

Page 4

We are not as vast an archipelago as Indonesia, and yet there have been serial discoveries of animal species endemic only to remote areas in the country.

Indonesia is a county of more than 14,000 islands, making it the world’s biggest archipelago. The Philippines only has half the number —  7,100 islands.

We may thus be called a “dense-pack” center of biodiversity. Maliit man, siksik naman sa lamang gubat at dagat.

The discovery of new life forms by a team of local and foreign scientists is, therefore, the strongest argument for boosting funding for forest upkeep. Without these creatures co-existing in a pristine woody environment, the entire ecosystem cannot function normally and deteriorate. When forests die, mankind cannot survive.

And so we agree with the socio-economic think tank La Liga Policy Institute which said the discovery of seven previously unknown mammal species in Luzon by a group of American and Filipino biologists recently underscores the need to further enhance forest protection and rehabilitation effort in the country.

Such requires increased public expenditure by national and concerned local governments on one hand, and community support on the other, to ensure that destructive human activities are stopped to allow nature to nourish back to life the country’s denuded forests, La Liga environment campaigner Jonathan Ronquillo stressed.

The Philippines is one of the 17 mega-diverse countries in the world yet it is also noted to have the fastest rate of deforestation and biodiversity loss, which La Liga believes is due to lack of fund to protect the forest from illegal activities and promote the sustainable use of the country’s natural wealth among the people living in upland areas.

“The discovery of this seven new species of forest mice in Luzon should give us more reasons to be protective of our forests from further destruction.  In fact, adequate fund should be made available for the rehabilitation of our country’s denuded forests, particularly our so-called Protected Areas and National Parks,” he said.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, all of the seven species are forest mice belonging to the genus Apomys and live only in a small part of Luzon.

The discovery increased the number of native mammals – excluding bats – in the country’s largest island from 42 to 49, or up by 17 percent.

Two of the species live in, or are endemic to, Mt. Tapulao in Zambales; two in Mt.Banahaw; another two in the Mingan Mountains of Aurora Province; and the remaining specie in the Sierra Madre mountain range of northeastern Luzon.

La Liga has been pushing for increased budget allocation for the environment and natural resources sector, including the development and rehabilitation of some of the country’s Protected Areas and National Parks in the amount of P35 million or P5 million each for the Tubbataha Reef, the Apo reef, Mts. Banahaw and San Cristobal, Mt. Kitanglad, the Northern Negros National Park, Central Cebu National Park, and Mt. Kanlaon National Park.

The group is also pushing for an increase of P200 million in the DENR’s budget for operations, specifically for the implementation of Community-Based Forest Management projects all over the country.

Currently, the 2011 National budget allocates no specific amount for the rehabilitation and protection of any of the 209 Protected Areas and National Parks all over the country, which means any project intended for these important wildlife habitats could only come from the budget of the Office of the Secretary of the DENR.

Retrieved from:

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/news/editorial/7702-funding-forestry