BAUANG, La Union- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 1 (DENR-1) held a New Year’s Call cum Orientation on ENR Enforcementwherein Undersecretary Jim O. Sampulna, CESO III was the keynote speaker at Hotel Ariana Hotel and Resturant, Paringao, Bauang, La Union last January 8, 2020. The New Year’s Call is an event where all DENR officials and employees gather to be aware of the policy direction of the agency and set the priority programs and projects to be implemented for the rest of the year.

In his Call/Marching Order, the Regional Executive Director (RED) Crizaldy M. Barcelo gave the directives of the DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu. RED Barcelo pointed out the tall orders of the secretary in the DENR New Year’s Call held recently. One of which was that the DENR Regional and field offices should sustain and maintain the gains and successes made in 2019 as well as to improve and correct the downs. Further, DENR Regional Officials should regularly visit far flung or remotest DENR Field Offices and project sites (e.g. NGP) and be visible to the communities and let them feel our presence that there is an agency truly concerned with our environment. After RED Barcelo delivered his marching order, he invited the participants for a New Year ceremonial toast.

Further, USec. Jim O. Sampulna, CESO III, Undersecretary for Enforcement and Muslim Affairs. USec. Sampulna mentioned that the DENR Secretary wanted to create an Enforcement Bureau to give solution to the present problematic situation wherein some of our DENR Personnel specifically patrollers, protection officers, and rangers are being killed for enforcing DENR laws in his lecture on Environment and Natural Resources Enforcement.