To sustainably manage, collaborate purposively, and coordinate development initiatives among stakeholders in watersheds, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Region 10 partners with stakeholders in the institutionalization of the Agusan-Cugman Cluster of Watersheds Management Council (ACCWMC) through signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on October 17, 2023 in Cugman, Cagayan de Oro City.

The partners for the MOA include the national government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations, local government units, non-government organizations, religious group, security group, civil society organization, business sector and the social/people’s organizations. The activity aims to sustainably manage the multiple use of natural resources within the watersheds in a manner that is environmentally sound, economically viable and socially acceptable, and to further restore the productive and protective function of currently degraded watersheds.

“Through this MOA, we are committing to a journey of partnership, shared responsibility, and continuous harmonious effort. This serves as a platform for collective decision-making, resource mobilization, and the execution of sustainable initiatives to protect and restore the ecological balance of our home.”, said DENR 10 Regional Executive Director Henry A. Adornado.

In behalf of Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Rolando “Klarex” Uy, Chief, Administrative Officer Alejo T. Salvani, Jr. of the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office expressed his gratitude to DENR and stakeholders in the initiative to institutionalize the ACCWMC as this will ensure to implement various environment-related activities that will protect, conserve and show love for the environment. He assured that the Local Government of Cagayan de Oro City will support the endeavor for the benefit of the environment and the communities.

“The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) 10 strongly supports this noble endeavor to effectively and sustainably manage our watersheds recognizing the propelling impacts of climate change in the region”, emphasized by Assistant Regional Director Leonila G. Cajarte of National Economic Development Authority 10 in behalf of NEDA 10 Regional Director Mylah Faye Aurora B. Cariño.

“The DILG urges our partner agencies to actively cooperate, engage and get involved as we partake further steps looking forward in the operation, supervision, management, protection and rehabilitation of the ACCWMC”, imparted by Chief, Hazel L. Occeña Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Local Government Capability Development Division who represented DILG 10 Regional Director Wilhelm M. Suyko.

The Agusan-Cugman Cluster of Watersheds (ACCW) is a significant and ecological area in Northern Mindanao. It encompasses a vast land of approximately 37,138 hectares within the provinces of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental covering five municipalities and city, namely: Manolo Fortich, Libona, Baungon in Bukidnon and Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro City. At the heart of ACCW lies the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park in Bukidnon as its headwater that gives life to the diverse ecosystems within the five watersheds and eventually converge into the Macajalar Bay in Misamis Oriental.

The ACCWMC envisions to have a robust, resilient and nourishing cluster of watersheds that provides vital ecological services and amenities essential to the economy, food security and human survival. The council will serve as the governing body that will oversee the operation, management, protection and rehabilitation of the Agusan-Cugman Cluster of Watersheds. #TayoAngKalikasan RSCIG No. 10-287-2023

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Features

Published: 20 October 2023

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Region X turned-over completed CY 2017 to 2018 Natural Resources Management (NRM) Subprojects within Muleta Watershed under the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project (INREMP) to 16 partner People’s Organizations (POs)/Indigenous POs on February 25, 2022 in Barangay Portulin, Pangantucan, Bukidnon.

DENR X Regional Executive Director Henry A. Adornado who led the turn-over said that the NRM Subprojects will not only give better lives to the POs and communities but as well as sustain the efforts in the protection and conservation of the environment.

RED Adornado noted that the partner POs awarded with completed NRM subprojects attained 80% survival rate based on the result of the final validation for CY 2017 to 2018 which was conducted on CY 2021. He added that the transfer of management and responsibility to partner POs aims to ensure the continuity of protection, sustainability, income generation and accountability over the completed NRM areas. It will also provide guidance on the procedure of POs responsibilities pertaining to the management of completed NRM subprojects.

RED Adornado stressed that DENR will continue to provide technical assistance to the partner POs/IPOs to further sustain the management of the NRM areas and scale-up on the livelihood activities as indicated on their submitted Sustainable Development and Management Plan.

On the other hand, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Vergilino P. Alima of Bukidnon congratulated the partner POs/IPOs for successful implementation of the NRM subprojects and he encouraged them to continue improving their products from their livelihood projects.

According to Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Vergilio N. Batocail of Don Carlos, Bukidnon, the DENR X already accepted and transferred NRM subprojects in 2021 to some POs which were implemented from CY 2015-2018. He added that the remaining NRM subprojects which will be awarded today to the 16 POs/IPOs covers a total land area of 1,966.16 hectares with ₱75,678,466.08 contract cost. The interventions under the NRM projects within Muleta Watershed are agroforestry, commercial tree plantation, conservation farming and assisted natural regeneration.

PO president of Portulin Talaandig Tribal Association, Inc. Datu Bagusayana Johnny Guina expressed his gratitude to DENR X for the INREM Project and he assured that they will protect and maintain the forests under the Mt. Kalatungan Range Natural Park.

Moreover, PO president Norma S. Adem of Basyawon Kisulop Small Upland farmers Association, Inc. said that the INREMP through the NRM and Livelihood Enhancement Support-1 subprojects helped them especially those poor farmers in their association to gain income from products such as selling tablea in nearby barangays and local market.
The POs awarded by NRM subprojects include Portulin Talaandig Tribal Association, Inc., New Eden Multipurpose Cooperative, Muleta Integrated Farmers Association, Inc., and Kauswagan Utah-Sinasaan-San Vicente Farmers Association, Inc. in Pangantucan, Bukidnon; Alliance of Integrated Farmers in San Isidro, Integrated Social Forestry Farmers Association of Kitingking, Inc., Sagpagang Upland Farmers Association, Inc., Migcawayan Tree Planters Association, Inc., Angga-an Community Tree Farmers Association, Inc., Tangkulan Upland Greening Association System, Inc., Omonay Farmers Association, Inc., Tangkulan Manubo Tribal Conference Peace Development Farming Association and Other Services System/ Tangkulan Tribal Association Peace Conference, Inc., and Angga-an Lumad Forestry Farmers Association, Inc. in Damulog, Bukidnon; Basyawon Kisulop Small Upland farmers Association, Inc. and Romagook- Small Lowland farmers Association, Inc. in Kibawe, Bukidnon and Purok 7 Bagor Farmers Association, Inc. / Barog Integrated Upland Farmers Assoc. Inc. in Kadingilan, Bukidnon.

The INREMP is one of the major projects of the DENR-Forest Management Bureau which aims to address unsustainable watershed management in four priority Upper River Basins (URBs), namely; Chico Upper River Basin in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Northern Luzon, Wahig-Inabanga River Basin in the island of Bohol, Region VII, Bukidnon Upper River Basin in Northern Mindanao, Region X, and Lake Lanao River Basin in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. #TayoAngKalikasan RSCIG No. 03-063-2022

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Features

Published: 07 March 2022

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Region X Henry A. Adornado (left photo) congratulates the 16 partner Indigenous/People’s Organizations (POs/IPOs) awarded with Natural Resources Management (NRM) subprojects within Muleta Watershed during the turn-over ceremony on February 25, 2022 in Barangay Portulin, Pangantucan, Bukidnon. RED Adornado said that the NRM subprojects under the Integrated Natural Resources Management Project will not only give better lives to the POs and communities but as well as sustain the efforts in the protection and conservation of the environment. RED Adornado stressed that DENR will continue to provide technical assistance to the partner POs/IPOs to further sustain the management of the NRM areas and scale-up the livelihood activities as indicated on their submitted Sustainable Development and Management Plan. The transfer of management and responsibility to partner POs of NRM Subprojects aims to ensure the continuity of protection, sustainability, income generation and accountability over the completed NRM areas. It will also provide guidance on the procedure and arrangements pertaining to the management of completed NRM subprojects. #TayoAngKalikasan RSCIG No. 03-064-2022

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Features

Published: 03 March 2022

DENR X awarded the Certificate of Completion and Acceptance on the 51 partnered POs/IPOs for CY 2015 and CY 2016 graduated sites under Natural Resource Management (NRM) subproject of Integrated Natural Resources Environmental Management Project (INREMP). During the turned-over ceremony, it was emphasized by DENR Officials that the management of NRM graduated sites is officially transferred to them and they are responsible in management, (maintenance & protection), and sustainability of their areas, in accordance with their submitted Sustainable Development Management Plans (SDMP). Further, the DENR will continually provide technical assistance and monitor the development and management of their areas in accordance with their SDMP and existing environmental laws. The acceptance and turnover ceremonies followed the IATF safety protocols to avoid the increase of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines.

The People’s Organizations (POs), especially those who protected and maintained their Agroforestry subprojects, are now reaping what they sowed after five years. The planted high valued crops such as Cacao, Coffee and Abaca intercrops with other cash crops are now on the harvesting stage. The partnered PO/IPOs are very fortunate in having post-harvest facilities under Livelihood Enhanced Support-1 which complement the harvested products, which generates job and stable income in the community.

The partnered PO/IPOs were not only given projects that can provide sustainable income, but also to commit in protecting the natural forests. A total of 5,481 hectares were planted with endemic trees species through Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) and Reforestation (Refo) approaches to increase the forest cover and serve as habitat for the plants and animals in the area. Regional Executive Director Arleigh J. Adorable reiterated that the INREMP is a loaned project by the Philippine Government to the Asian Development Bank aiming to protect the natural forest and ensure the livelihood of the upland farmers.

RED Adorable said “Dili ingon nga tungod kay gihatag na sa gobyerno para malegalize inyong (ancestral domain) claim pwede na bisag unsa na lang inyong himoon sa maong lugar tungod kay dili lang atong kaigsoonang IP ang nag salig sa maong lugar para mabuhi, uban usab ang mga tao nga nag salig sa tubig ug sa hangin nga gihatag sa atong kalasangan para mabuhi tang tanan. Kitang tanan gusto man mabuhi, dili ra man pipila ka tao.”

He also added that Bukidnon and lake Lanao river basins are located in the heart of Mindanao. And most of these mountainous areas are claim by our IP brothers and sisters as part of their ancestral land. Henceforth, the DENR should also be part in preparation of their Ancestral Domain Sustainable Development and Protection Plan (ADSDPP) to ensure the protection of natural forest following the prescribed guidelines as stated in our existing environmental policies. Jayson M. Ligtas #TayoAngKalikasan RSCIG No. 05-152-2021

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Features

Published: 27 May 2021

Access roads in Bukidnon upland farms need improvement. In most cases concreting or filling of gravel on roads is a necessity for the farms to be accessible. The movement of crops from the farm to the market is one of the struggles of the farmers and the local communities due to the road condition. It takes time and a huge effort to transport goods because some areas are not accessible to 4-wheel vehicles. The mode of transportation is either habal-habal or through the use of animals such as horses or carabao which makes it expensive.

Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project (INREMP) has three subprojects. One of which is the Rural Infrastructure, it rehabilitates farm-to-market access roads which pave the way especially to the upland farmers for accessible transportation of crops resulting to cheaper hauling cost.

In Bukidnon Upper River Basin (BURB), 12 Local Government Units (LGUs) partner on the said subproject. To name a few, the partnered LGUs are Kibawe, Sumilao, and Valencia City. Overall there are 13 access road rehabilitations situated on the nearby Natural Resource Management sites of INREMP. The 80 percent of the total project cost of every RI subproject sites is covered by INREMP, and the remaining 20 percent covered by the partner LGUs. To date, four of the 13 RI subproject sites are complete, five are scheduled for turn-over by the third and fourth quarters of this year, and the remaining four will be turned-over the following year.

INREMP is a foreign-funded project and one of the banner programs of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. It has three subprojects namely; 1) Natural Resource Management to rehabilitate the denuded watershed areas, 2) Livelihood Enhancement Support to upkeep the crops production and enhance the People’s Organizations’ existing commodities, and 3) Rural Infrastructure. These subprojects improve our forests conditions and provide the upland communities a long term sustainable source of income. The INREM Project and other organizations provided skills training to the partner people’s organizations related to farming to boost their income and protect our forests.

With the rehabilitated access roads, farmers can now transport their goods with lesser travel and hauling expenses. The local community, businessmen, and tourists can easily access the nearby NRM sites of our partnered People’s Organizations. Jayson M. Ligtas #TayoAngKalikasan

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Features

Published: 05 August 2020