Environmental protection will no longer be a piecemeal affair in Negros Oriental. The provincial government has entered into a memorandum of agreement that sets into motion a comprehensive program meant to improve the governance of forests and forestlands, coastal and marine resources, and solid waste and waste water management in its 25 cities and municipalities.

The MOA was signed by Gov. George Arnaiz for Negros Oriental, Regional Executive Director Celso Loriega Jr. for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Regional Coordinator May Elizabeth Ybañez for USAID’s Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Project last July 18, 2006 in Dumaguete City.

The formal agreement commits the three institutions to consolidate their efforts and resources, with the DENR and EcoGov providing technical assistance and support services, for the formulation and sustainable management of the province’s natural resources.

The initiative enjoyed widespread support from local officials in the province. At least 90 of them, including 15 municipal and city mayors, participated in the event. An inspired presentation on the environment by guest speaker Atty. Antonio Oposa, Jr., IBP Committee on Environment Chairman, set the tone for the activity. He capped his talk with a call for everyone, from government officials to ordinary citizens, to perform their roles and responsibilities in the protection and preservation of the environment.

One of the mayors present asked where they could find models for best practices. He was told that he does not have to go far—two LGUs in the province have been getting high marks in environmental governance, and others could learn from their experience. Bayawan City and the town of Dauin are successfully implementing FLUP and ISWM programs, with full assistance from the EcoGov Project.

Seven other Negros Oriental LGUs are recipients of EcoGov technical assistance: Bais City, Tanjay City, and the municipalities of Sta. Catalina, Amlan, La Libertad, Pamplona and San Jose. With the MOA, it will now be possible to upscale the standards, systems and processes for natural resource management with other LGUs in the province. Some of the mayors present welcomed the development, saying they were “glad that the provincial government took on the lead in environmental governance as we have been waiting for assistance to move ahead.”

top...