In response to the international call to conduct and implement an adaptation and mitigation measures for the global warming and climate change, the provincial government of Davao Oriental has implemented several activities.
Dolores Valdesco, officer in-charge of the Provincial Office for Environment Management (POEM), formerly ENRO, revealed during the Kapehan sang Kapitolyo sang Davao Oriental that the provincial government under the leadership of former governor and now Congresswoman Cora Malanyaon of District 1 and the present administration headed by Governor Nelson Dayanghirang has implemented several activities that include to reduce Green House Gases (GHG) emissions.
She said to reduce GHG emissions, the forest must be included in the program.
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and the Kyoto Protocol required that signatory countries to reduce their GHG emissions but forest was not included. At a gathering in Montreal, Canada in 2005, a group of countries led by Papua New Guinea introduced an idea called REDD or Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.
Another gathering in Indonesia (2007), the Bali Action Plan was declared that calls for Policy approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries where REDD morphed to REDD+ (REDD Plus).
“As there was a wide consensus on the importance of integrating forests into emissions mitigation, the Province of Davao Oriental has implemented the REDD+,” Valdesco said.
She narrated that REDD+ was implemented in three municipalities, namely, Tarragona, Manay and Caraga with a four component project titled “Capacity Enhancement for a Davao Oiental Province-wide Top to Bottom Natural Resources Management, Biodiversity Conservation and Carbon Stock Enhancement Program.
Its components include Formulation and Mainstreaming of the Provincial Forest Land Use Plan (PFLUP), Formulation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Provincial Environment Code, Formulation and Implementation of an Information Dissemination Plan for Communicating the Environment Code and the Corresponding IRR to the Component LGUs as the Anchor of their Respective City/Municipal Environment Code, Creation of Sustainable Natural Resources Management-schooled (SNRM) Davao Oriental Council of Tribal Elders, and Continuing Forest Resource Assessment for non-covered component LGUs.
The SNRM-schooled Tribal leaders is already accomplished and formed the Davao Oriental Provincial Tribal Organization for Sustainable Natural Resources Management (DOPTRIO-SNRM).
REDD+ or Plus refers to the increased removal of GHGs through Conservation of forest carbon stocks, Sustainable management of forests and enhancement of carbon stocks. REDD+ has been implemented here in the Philippines by German International Cooperation (GIZ) since 2009 particularly in Palawan, Southern Leyte and General Nakar as pilot areas. Later on, the project selected three provinces as replication areas: Albay, Eastern Samar and Davao Oriental. The MOA for implementation of REDD+ in
this province was signed on November 7, 2014. GIZ REDD+ in Davao Oriental is headed by Forester Rogelio Abalus with his staff Forester Joise Honor, Jr, Riena Mae Godin and June Mark Quiroga.
Trough the REDD+ project, the Municipality of Tarragona has able to Adopt and approved FLUP, Declared a Critical Habitat (Local Conservation Area) for the Philippine Eagle Sanctuary, Formulated and adopted a Municipal Environment Code, Trained 55 Bantay Gubats, and Conducted FRA and accomplished 26 target plots.
The Municipality of Manay has also Adopted and approved FLUP, Trained 80 Bantay Gubats, Conducted FRA, and accomplished 49 plots.
The Municipality of Caraga also adopted and approved FLUP, Livelihood projects – Nine abaca stripping machines distributed to nine IP barangays, Trained 45 Bantay Gubats and Conducted FRA and accomplished 15 plots.
Meanwhile, the DOPTRIO-SNRM is now continuously conducting IECs on SNRM to different LGUs and barangays in this province as well as organizing the municipal and barangay chapters of DOPTRIO-SNRM.
Valdesco said the Indigenous Peoples (IPs) should be rewarded for protecting their forests. (Sarx Lanos)
