On June 7, 2021, the Manila Health Department administered the first vaccination drive to the A2 and A3 priority frontline personnel of DENR MIMAROPA Regional Office which described in the Department of Health’s COVID-19 Vaccination Program prioritization as Senior Citizens (A2) and Persons with Comorbidities (A3). Seventy (70) A2 and A3 employees were vaccinated with their first dose of the Sinovac Vaccine.
On June 28, 2021, the MHD administered the vaccination drive to the A4 frontline personnel of the DENR MIMAROPA Regional Office including the Mines and Geosciences Bureau MIMAROPA and Environmental Management Bureau MIMAROPA. The A4 employees were vaccinated with their first dose of AstraZeneca Vaccine.
CENRO Roxas, Oriental Mindoro conducted a “Talakayang Pangkalikasan” radio program on Radyo Natin 98.9 Roxas on June 25, 2021. The program focused on informing the public on the mandates, vision and mission of DENR and its Priority Programs and on the importance of Environmental Compliance Certificate, the application procedure for ECC and the projects that should apply for ECC. The problem on Solid Waste Management was also emphasized during the program and informing the public of the role of LGU as DENR’s partner for implementation of RA 9003 or the Solid Waste Management Act.###
CENRO SAN JOSE’S “Days with Rommel: Buhay sa Kawayanan” Vlog and Quiz Bee’s Team Enviro-Huggers of CENRO Sablayan bagged Championship in this year’s National Greening Program IEC Activities
As part of DENR MIMAROPA’s Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities this 2021, the Region’s National Greening Program (NGP) spearheaded and organized its first-ever vlog contest entitled “NGP Untold: Best Practices Behind Success” Video Blog Contest and second 2021 Online NGP Quiz Bee last June 22, 2021.
Participated by different NGP contractors, NGP coordinators, Forestry Extension Officers (FEOs), and other technical staff, a total of 25 teams worked hand-in-hand to collaborate and compete for this year’s fun and exciting events.
“NGP Untold: Best Practices Behind Success”Video Blog Contest NGP contractors play a vital part in the program’s success since 2011. Hence, this vlog contest showcased their unique and best practices or strategies to implement and accomplish their designated NGP activities.
Among the ten teams who joined the Region’s first video blog contest, CENRO San Jose, Occidental Mindoro’s “Days with Rommel: BuhaysaKawayanan” outshined and won the championship. According to their vlog team, “the vlog showed Mr. Rommel Belmonte presenting the challenges the Tigis Farmers Irrigator Association encountered and how they solve these problems to maintain their bamboo plantation unceasingly.”
Furthermore, CENRO Coron, Palawan’s vlog narrated by Mr. Ramil Malto of Coron Watershed Beneficiaries Association-Agroforestry Multipurpose Cooperative (CWBA-AMPC), got second place. The 5-minute vlog entry exhibited their practices in seedling production, site preparation, and hauling of seedlings.
Lastly, CENRO Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, went home as the 3rd placer and winner of the People’s Choice Award brought by their vlog’s 1,344 likes and approximately 3,000 shares on Facebook. In addition, their vlog team shared that Mr.Arnel Gado, the vlogger, is now reaping the fruits of his labor after all his hard work in maintaining their NGP area.
Ten vlog entries were assessed and judged through the following criteria: Message Content and Relevance (40 points), Creativity and Originality (30 points), Visual Appeal (15 points), and Impact to Viewers (15 points) for a total of 100 points.
Watch the vlog entries of NGP MIMAROPA’s Field Offices at the DENR MIMAROPA Official Facebook Page.
2021 Online NGP Quiz Bee
For the second time, NGP MIMAROPA held its annual Online Quiz Bee last June 22, 2021. Unlike last year’s World Bamboo Day-themed activity, this year’s quiz bee primarily focused on NGP activities and other concepts and principles for the program’s implementation, along with different NGP-related Executive Orders and Technical Bulletins.
Fifteen teams, namely Team Agila of PENRO Marinduque, Team Pinus merkusiiof PENRO Occidental Mindoro, Team EnviroHuggers of CENRO Sablayan, Team Tectona philippinensis of CENRO San Jose, Team Hagakhak of PENRO Oriental Mindoro, Team Camp Kawayan of CENRO Socorro, Team Ka-Berde of CENRO Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, Team Artemis of PENRO Palawan, Team Alien of CENRO Brooke’s Point, Team Coron Bye-rus of CENRO Coron, Team Luntiang Princesa of CENRO Puerto Princesa, Team Bambootastic of CENRO Roxas, Palawan, Team QueNarRiz Families of CENRO Quezon, Team Green Thum of CENRO Taytay, and Team Manggugubat of PENRO Romblon battled against each other for the Elimination Round. Teams were down to 8 in the Semi-Final Round following the Final Round with the last three standing teams to compete for the championship.
CENRO Sablayan’s Team Enviro-Huggers won the championship of this year’s Online Quiz Bee with their hard-earned 35 points. They vied head-to-head for the Final Round’s tie-breaking questions with CENRO Socorro’s Team Camp Kawayan, who won second place. CENRO Roxas, Palawan’s Team Bambootastic, did not fail to showcase their intelligence as they were hailed as the third placer for this year’s battle of the brains competition.
Regional NGP Coordinator, Manuel T. Escasura, expressed his appreciation to all the participants who made this annual event successful. He added, “I hope this quiz bee has helped you recall the technical aspect of NGP and motivated you to work harder to achieve a greater result.”
Aside from the participation from Field Offices, 2021 Online Quiz Bee was also assisted by Master Ceremonies, Ms.Madona P. Corado as the Quiz Bee Master, For. Herminigildo C. Jocson of DENR CALABARZON, For. Michelle N. Ojeda of FMB, and For. Romana A. Mauricio of ERDB as Board of Judges.
In our own little ways, we become an ambassador in the protection and conservation of the environment. Tayo ang Kalikasan regional focal persons Janice D. Belen and Zach Fernandez gave an overview of the Tayo ang Kalikasan advocacies and the involvement of the youth sector and the community in doing our responsibilities to protect the environment.
The Environment and Natural Resource (ENR) Ambassador project is open to all deserving students/youth that may enter into partnership with civic organizations, non-government organizations and schools. Each of the field offices have a designated Tayo ang Kalikasan focal person which guides and provides appropriate resources to these ENR Ambassadors to expedite communication and coordination to stakeholders. As part of the social mobilization, they have conducted environmental activities such as mangrove planting and coastal cleanup, writing of articles and other related publications, and conduct of environmental lectures.
In one of the activities, Environment and Natural Resource (ENR) Ambassadors, Information Officers and Tayo ang Kalikasan focal persons actively participated in the webinar by citing their own ways on what an environmental ambassador means to them. “Ang pangangalaga sa kalikasan ay nagsisimula sa ating sariling disiplina,” as stated by Breccio Gamo Jr., ENR Ambassador of Romblon.
In celebration of the Month of the Ocean in May as per Presidential Proclamation No. 57, series of 1999, the Regional Office in coordination with our PENROs and CENROs in MIMAROPA conducted the Month of the Ocean webinar undertaking the various ways in protecting and conserving our environment especially our marine protected areas.
DENR MIMAROPA encourages the youth by involving them in information campaigns to expand awareness on the critical role of society in gathering and understanding scientific information for the protection and conservation of our oceans. In compliance with the Republic Act 9512 of 2008 (An Act to Promote Environmental Awareness through Environmental Education and for other purposes) and Republic Act No. 8044 (Youth in Nation-Building Act of 1994).
The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) cited that the impact of multiple stressors on the ocean is projected to increase as the human population grows towards the expected 9 billion by 2050. As the community starts to develop rapidly, the source of livelihood and industrial technologies greatly affects the marine structure and the living species that borders in it.
As adaptation strategies and science-related responses to global change are urgently needed, Ms. Aiza A. Clemenia and Mr. Eunil A. Fatalla, both faculty members of the Central Taytay National High School, discussed various ocean threats such as water pollution, nuclear waste, increased carbon dioxide (CO2), overfishing, pollution and dumping, fish feeding and dynamite fishing. John Japheth Fabellon of Conservation and Development Division also discussed the threats to the Coral triangle including unsustainable coastal development and tourism, destructive fishing, overfishing, and climate change.
