PENRO Urges All LGUs to Have an Environment Officer

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) will push for the creation of its counterpart office in all cities and towns under the province in order to address problems, concerns and programs affecting the environment swiftly.

During the 1st Cebu Provincial Environment Summit last Aug. 17 to 18, Baltazar S. Tribunalo Jr., officer-in-charge of PENRO, said that having an Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) in all local government units (LGUs) is vital in carrying out projects and policies that would prevent the destruction of our ecosystem.

“We are pooling environment personnel from LGUs, national government agencies and non-government organizations so we can come up with institutional arrangements and networks for formal cooperation,” Tribunalo said.

Environment officers from LGUs must be organized to become a cohesive group that help each other in solving problems and implementing projects.

He assured participants that the provincial government would press for the creation of this office in all LGUs.

“The present administration is serious in promoting a balanced growth in the province where development and environment protection go hand in hand,” he said.

Environmental protection is one of Governor Hilario P. Davide III’s six key development agenda.

Commitments

“The link and collaborative efforts between LGU environment officers and the Province of Cebu will also serve as a medium for the province to fulfill its commitments under Davide’s leadership,” Tribunalo said.

These commitments include the growing of three million native and fruit trees in three years, planting of cacao on 1,000-hectare land and implementing of other environmental conservation and protection projects through PENRO.

While waiting for other LGUs to create an ENRO, Francisco Basco of Alegria recommended that towns and cities which don’t have environment officer like him should designate a focal person so that environmental concerns could be addressed immediately.

With the theme, “Pagpanalipod sa Kalikupan, Kalambuan sa Matag Sugbuanon, Karon ug sa Umaabot,” the summit discussed problems on illegal sand and gravel extraction, mining, solid waste management, waste water and air pollution, wildlife poaching and biodiversity degradation, weak environmental enforcement and untitled public land.

It also served as a venue for LGUs to share their best practices on environmental protection.

In his talk on LGU’s environment accountability, Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente stressed that corruption is the fuel for environmental degradation.

Like Tribunalo, he wanted LGUs to strengthen their network and adapt good practices learned from each other’s experience to combat those who would bring harm to the environment.

“It takes a network to fight established networks of unlawful environment activities,” Clemente said.

Fedencio Carreon, chief of Technical Services Division of DENR-PENRO Cebu, found the summit as a good sounding board for sharing ideas and defining responsibilities on environment and natural resources.

Architect Soccoro Atega, executive director of Cebu Uniting for Sustainable Water, lauded the Province for this bold step in identifying environmental programs and projects and sharing best environmental practices.

For his part, Provincial Board Member and Chairman of committee on environmental conservation Thadeo Jovito Z. Ouano assured that he would support any amendment in the province’s Environment Code or pass new ordinances to help protect the environment.

The summit is part of PENRO’s program to hold regular forum with LGUs together with other stakeholders in its effort to look for collective solutions on environmental problems and promote good natural resource governance. (PENRO)

cebu.gov.ph