DENR steps up efforts to support rebuilding SDN, PDI

The DENR Caraga has been intensifying its efforts to help in the reconstruction of the two provinces severely-hit by Typhoon Odette – Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands, on December 16-17, 2021.

Aside from the relief operations continuously done the day after the calamity struck the provinces, Regional Executive Director Nonito M. Tamayo said, the agency has already donated an aggregate of 27,716.11 bd.ft. of lumber of which 13,716.11 bd.ft. were donated to Surigao City and 14,000.00 bd.ft were given to the province of Dinagat Islands (PDI).

Earlier RED Tamayo has committed to Secretary Roy A. Cimatu to donate at least 90,000.00 bd.ft. of lumber to the two provinces out of the region’s confiscated forest products and those turned over by the DPWH out of the affected trees in the implementation of their infrastructure projects.

However, RED Tamayo said, most of these forest products are still in log form.  “We have tied-up with the legitimate wood processing plants within the region and milling is on-going to help us mill the logs into desired sizes for use in the reconstruction of the ruined houses and infrastructures,” he said.

The agency has also lent a total of 11 confiscated chainsaws to the affected local government units—six (6) units were allocated to PDI, two (2) for Surigao del Norte and another three (3) for Siarga Islands.  “The chainsaw will help the LGUs in clearing the felled/uprooted trees that are blocking the road networks.  It will also help them slice the logs derived from those trees.” Tamayo said.

“We have also tapped the Forest Products Resources and Development Institute of the Department of Science and technology (FPRDI-DOST) for the repair of the four (4) wood mizers that we have and once these will be operational, we can lend these to the affected provinces to facilitate the milling of the logs out of the felled/uprooted trees.

All these, he said are in accordance with the directive of the DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations and Environment Atty. Juan Miguel T. Cuna which specified the guidelines for the agency’s response to the Presidential Directive No. 2021-076 dated December 22, 2021 prescribing for the “Immediate Resolution of Typhoon-related concerns in Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands.”

He added that the directive has also authorized the PENROs to issue recovery and transport permit for the naturally growing trees while the CENROs shall issue permits for planted trees within private or titled lands for the uprooted/felled trees for use in the reconstruction efforts.

Moreover, DENR Caraga has recommended for the relocation of the families living within the easement areas of the shorelines of Siargao Islands following the onslaught of Typhoon Odette which ravaged the islands severely affecting the communities and the infrastructures in the area.

RED Tamayo deployed a team to conduct the assessment and identification of possible areas for possible relocation of the communities to safer area as part of the strategies to lessen the impact on the residents and their properties whenever storms/typhoons such as Odette strikes.

Secretary Cimatu has been briefed of these on-going activities during his visit in Siargao on January 15, 2022 to see for himself the impact of the devastation caused by Typhoon Odette.

He said this is a good move and instructed the Protected Area Superintendent to continue the identification of areas suitable for relocation of displaced residents without damaging the biodiversity since Siargao is a protected area.

Siargao Islands has been declared as a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) since 1996 and the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System (ENIPAS) in 2018.##

• Prev
• Next