Press Releases

 

PCSAPCSA 1San Fernando City, La Union- In line with the celebration of 2023 Philippine Civil Service Anniversary (PSCA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Region I (DENR I) commenced the kick-off program at the DENR I Regional Office, Government Center, Sevilla, San Fernando City, La Union on September 1, 2023.

The 123rd PSCA which is spearheaded by the CSC is pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1050, Series of 1997 declaring the Month of September as the Civil Service Month. This is in observance of the establishment of the Philippine Civil Service by virtue of Public Law No. 5 or “An Act for the Establishment and Maintenance of an Efficient and Honest Civil Service in the Philippine Islands on September 19, 1900.

In 2021, CSC introduced a 10-year overarching theme, “Transforming Public Service in the Next Decade: Honing Agile and Future-Ready Servant-Heroes.” The theme reflects the collective experience of the government workforce in the new normal and in pushing for digital transformation and innovations to uphold public service excellence and continuity.

The simultaneous nationwide kick-off, which was led by CSC Regional Office I in partnership with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), started with the Online Zumba session and Film-Viewing for A Cause which was participated by DENR 1 employees with a registration of Php 250.

All the proceeds from the online event will be directed to support the Pamanang Lingkod Bayani Program, a CSC initiative with the support of various government line agencies, is a one-time financial assistance and scholarship opportunities that aims to pay tribute and support to the families of government workers who lost their lives in the line of duty.

The film screening also showcased three movies such as "Edward" directed by Thop Nazareno, "Mañanita" directed by Paul Soriano, and "Retirada" directed by Cynthia Cruz-Paz and Milo Paz.

Virtual Anniversary messages were likewise delivered by CSC Chairperson Karlo Alexis B. Nograles, and Commissioner Atty. Aileen Lourdes A. Lizada during the kick-off.

Also coinciding with the prior mentioned activity was the singing of the Civil Service March or “Awit ng Serbisyo Sibil” followed by the unfurling of the CSC 123rd Anniversary Banner at the DENR I Building grounds led by Assistant Regional Director for Management Services Engr. Raymundo Gayo together with the Environmental Management Bureau Region I (EMB I) Regional Director Engr. Maria Dorica Naz-Hipe and Finance Division Chief Rosalia Soriano.

The 123rd PCSA month long celebration include, Simultaneous Flag Raising, Thanksgiving Mass, HR@UrService, Blood Letting Activity, and Awarding Ceremony of Loyalty Awardees and Top 5% performing employees, and commendations to employees for their exemplary performance (RSCIG-GCG/DML).

CBFMSan Fernando City, La Union- Aiming to establish a stronger and resilient communities through the Community-based Forest Management (CBFM) strategy, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 1 conducted a three (3) day training for the Peoples Organizations (PO) who are the considered as ‘forest managers’ in the CBFM areas including the support groups in order to fully capacitate them as essential partners in ensuring a sustainable and equitable management of forest ecosystems.
OIC-ARD for Management Services Engr. Raymundo C. Gayo, who also represented Regional Executive Director Atty. Crizaldy M. Barcelo welcomed all the participants and underscored that the communities play a crucial role in environmental decisions as they ‘stand for the right to protect and manage natural resources located on traditional indigenous lands and the rights of citizens to live in a healthy environment.’
During the first day, the participants manifested excitement to revisit the Community Resource Management Framework (CRMF) which consists of the community’s vision, mission, goals and objectives for the period of 25 years which is apparently about to expire. Thus, during the presentation of DMO IV Marilyn M. Racoma, Chief of the Conservation and Development Division (CDD), she reiterated the very essence of the workshop to guide the POs in their CBFM journey.
Day 2 and 3 were intended for the various workshops anchored on the objectives, major strategies and sub-strategies of the CBFM Plan. This was facilitated by Ms. Janet Martires, the Project Development Director of Yakap Kalikasan. Interactive presentation from the various groups composed of POs, support groups and DENR also ensued. Yakap Kalikasan is a Non-Government Organization under the Forest Foundation Philippines (FFP).
DENR-FMB Forestry Investment Portal was also presented by Ms. Ayesha Chennel Abawag of the Forestry Investment Development Division (FIDD). Ms. Abawag walked the participant through in navigating the marketing portal which was a user-friendly tool designed as a market place for all PO products and will be launched soon.
From the output crafted by the participants, this will be consolidated by the DENR-Regional Office 1 to complete the 10-year Strategic Management and Communication Plan for 2023-2032.
MOA 6Pursuant to DENR Memorandum Circular (DMC) No. 2008-05 or guidelines in the preparation of watershed management plans and DENR Administrative Order (DAO) 2021-41 known as Guidelines in the creation of watershed management council, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region I led by Regional Executive Director Atty. Crizaldy M. Barcelo, CESO III the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) creating the Bued River Watershed Management Council last August 8, 2023 at Hotel Consuelo Resort, Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Said agreement aims to create a multi-sectoral institution that will bring about holistic mechanisms and initiatives for the protection, conservation, management, and development of the Bued River which has a total length of 80 km (50 mi) and primarily encompasses the provinces of Benguet and Pangasinan, and a few parts of La Union. The river originates from the City of Baguio and joins with the Angalacan River in the municipality of Mangaldan, MOA 3Pangasinan to form the Cayanga River.
Moreover, the watershed management council is composed of the Chief Executive Officers of various government agencies, offices, organizations, and instrumentalities or their duly authorized representatives that have jurisdiction of the watershed.
The council was chaired by RED Barcelo given that Region I had the biggest cover of Bued River. It was co-chaired by Pangasinan Governor Ramon V. Guico III which was represented by Mark Ronald DG. Lambino and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) I Regional Director Irenea B. Ubungen while the core members are DENR Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) represented by Regional Executive Director, Engr. Ralph C. Pablo, NEDA CAR, Department of Public Work and Highways (DPWH), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), National Council for Indigenous People (NCIP), Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Tourism (DOT), National Irrigation Authority (NIA), Department of Education (DepEd), Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Energy (DOE) –Luzon Field Office, Provincial Government of La Union and Benguet, General Manager Pozzurubio Water District, Center Head- Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau -Watershed MOA 5and Water Resources Research Development and Extension Center (ERDB-WWRRDEC), and Zero Waste Baguio among others.
The event formalizes the creation and operationalization of the watershed management council of Bued River Watershed. Though our agencies have different mandates and priorities, your presence here today reassure and strengthens our hope for a good partnership and also heightens our desire of teamwork as watershed stakeholders in attaining a sustainably managed watershed.
This MOA also denotes our partnership in exchange of knowledge, research, studies and technical capacities and information on new, current and emerging trends in developing and managing our watershed. Contribution of each stakeholder is very vital. Let us be guided by emerging, acceptable and functional management concepts like convergence initiatives and solidarity because as we always believe, “together we can do better”, RED Barcelo said in his message.
Members of the created council shall serve as the oversight and advisory body on watershed planning and program implementation as well as contributor in the formulation of policies that support inter-agency coordination, collaboration, cooperation, partnership, and convergence, and complementation of natural resources benefits and cost sharing and resources planning and program implementation.
After the MOA signing, the first joint council meeting was carried out where the milestones and preparation of the Intergrated Watershed Management Plan of Bued River was presented.
OathtakingSan Fernando City, La Union - In its continuing development efforts to the most vital component in an organization, its human capital, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 1 filled up 37 more vacant positions where the appointees took their oath last August 14, 2023.
Regional Executive Director Atty. Crizaldy M. Barcelo who administered the oath of office urged the appointees in his message to have the attitude of gratitude, strive for excellence and have a sense of loyalty and integrity as embedded in the 4 core values of the DENR which stands for Discipline, Excellence, Nobility and Responsibility.
Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services For. Felix C. Taguba in his message also acknowledged the efforts of the Human Resource Management Promotion and Selections Board (HRMPSB) for doing a deliberate process in the recruitment, selection and placement of qualified applicants to vacant positions and likewise encouraged all the appointees who vowed allegiance to the Department to work on improving themselves as workers for the environment.
The appointees expressed their gratitude as they commit to step up in their level of performance in upholding the mandate of the agency.
The oathtaking of the employees was facilitated by the HRMPSB under the chairmanship of Engr. Raymundo C. Gayo, OIC Assistant Regional Director for Management Services which is the second for the region this year
Earth Day 1Earth Day 2SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Several officials and personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 1 (DENR-I) together with the agency’s line bureaus, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-I) and Environmental Management Bureau (EMB- I) participated in the celebration of the 53rd Earth Day 2023 with this year’s theme: “Invest in our Planet” which highlighted with a “fun run” traversing the major roads of the city proper of San Fernando, La Union last April 15, 2023.
A short program and Zumba first took place infront of the City Hall of San Fernando before the “fun run” commenced. The said Fun Run dubbed as “Takbo Para sa Kalikasan” (Run for Nature), was initiated by the city government of San Fernando, La Union and the Lupon ng mga Indibidwal na Nangangalaga ng Kalikasan (LINK) Inc., a network of youth committed to empower young people in the protection, conservation and proper management of the environment and natural resources which was founded by City Vice Mayor Alfredo Pablo “Alf” Ortega. LINK is DENR Region 1’s ENR Ambassador which has become a force multiplier in environmental advocacy. The said activity was participated by more than a thousand individuals from various sectors of the civil society like the academe, local and national government agencies, uniformed personnel, among others. “...All of us has the responsibility to preserve our environment, to love our Mother Earth, it is not only today that we show our support and love to mitigate the problem of our environment we are facing now but let us start as early as now to preserve, conserve our environment…”, Vice Mayor Ortega said during his inspirational message.
All the participants happily joined the activity in which they tried their best to garner the “first place in the Fun Run”, “best Zumba dancer” and “group or agency with the most number of participants” and shared their experiences and values they gained on the activity. “..Bilang isang kabataan napakalaking opportunity ang ganitong kaganapan para sa kalikasan lalo na kami po ang susunod na henerasyon…kaya hinikayat ko ang mga kapwa ko kabataan na mag volunteer at tutulong sa lahat ng activities na alam namin makakaresolba sa problema sa ating kalikasan..”, the newly- crowned Ms. San Fernando City 2023 said.
Earth Day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970 by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson as a day of education about environmental issues and support for the protection of the environment. (ZLP-RSCIG)