11/25/2009 -

Tañon Strait is one of the key marine biodiversity areas in the Philippines. This area is exposed to a range of threats to biodiversity as a result of manifold human activities in three provinces, in the Central and Western Visayas Regions, namely Cebu, Negros Oriental and Negros Occidental. As part of its scaling up and mainstreaming activities, EcoGov is forming a new productive partnership with DENR of Region 6, and respond to the expressed interests of LGUs in the “ridge to reef” integrated ecosystem management framework. These include the Cities of Sagay and San Carlos as well as the Municipalities of Calatrava and Toboso. These LGUs are starting to realize that urban pollution as a result of unmanaged solid & liquid wastes is posing a serious threat to the rich biodiversity of their coastal waters which is a source of livelihood and food security for these communities.

n early November 2009 the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Central Office and its Foreign-Assisted Special Projects Office (FASPO) notified the DENR Region 6 that EcoGov would be engaging with them to explore and define the technical assistance. On 10 November 2009, DENR-VI Regional Executive Director Benjamin Tumaliuan agreed to a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between EcoGov, DENR and Environment Management Bureau (EMB) Region 6, and City LGUs in the Tañon Strait. Mayor Alfredo Marañon of Sagay City and Mayor Lacson of San Carlos expressed interest in EcoGov collaboration in waste water management. These two cities have already prepared Solid Waste Management (SWM) Plans – San Carlos, with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Sagay City with GTZ support. Project Officers from the two respective Official Development Assistance (ODA) programs welcomed the EcoGov complementation. Authorization from the City Councils for the mayors to enter into agreements are underway this month and will be secured before the Solid Waste and Wastewater Management Orientation for new upcoming partner LGUs on 2-3 December 2009 at Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental.

...top