REMAI ALEJADO
Zambosur PPB
The bonding between the Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) and the Provincial Government, reinforced by the DENR, will extend until 2011, Provincial Environment Management Officer (PEMO) and Provincial Administrator Pepito Degamo disclosed.
Digamo’s news was revealed to the technical working group of the 1st Provincial Coastal Resource Management Summit (CRM) in their Post-CRM Summit meeting held recently.
EcoGov is a non-government organization funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-the agency that provides economic, humanitarian and environmental management worldwide.
In his assessment, Degamo said the recently concluded 1st CRM Summit, which was attended by Us Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Anne Kenney, created a higher level of awareness of the CRM program in the province.
Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Loy Cañales affirmed Degamo’s revelation as he said that during a meeting with DENR Asst. Sec. Gerardo Calderon and EcoGov Chief of Party Ernesto Guiang in Manila, which he was also present, the extension of EcoGov project in Zamboanga del Sur was tackled.
In partnership with DENR, EcoGov Project 2 has poured in technical assistance to Zamboanga del Sur for seven years already, focusing on the Illana Bay Regional Alliance (IBRA) and covering eight local government units.
For the extension, USAID-EcoGov will “scale up” or expand its program to five towns—which will include the hinterlands, coming up with a Forest Land Use Plan for Dumingag, Mahayag, Sominot and Lakewood.
Likewise, a technical assistance in the formulation of Solid Waste Management Plan for Dumalinao, Guipos and Labangan will also be attended to.
Once these plans are completed, the province will draft documents for watershed protection and management, Cañales elaborated.
The Provincial Planning and Development Office is closely coordinating with Eco-Gov and DENR as member of the Provincial Technical Assistance team of the project.