President Rodrigo Roa Duterte spearheads the Ceremonial Patent Distribution of 6,929 free patents covering more than 2,608 hectares of public land to qualified beneficiaries in Caraga Region on April 12, 2022 during his presidential visit in Butuan City with the theme, “Tatak Duterte: Pagpapatuloy ng Tamang Pamamahala”.
The activity aims to bring the Government closer to the people by promoting economic development and social justice by giving land rights (land patents) to the landless and qualified land beneficiaries and improve resilience of communities in light of natural disasters.
The Improved Land Management and Administration is one of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ priority programs.
The representatives of free patent beneficiaries from the five (5) provinces within the region who personally received their land titles from the president were Mr. Edelmundo P. Redondo of Agusan del Norte, Ms. Vergelia A. Montes of Agusan del Sur, Mr. Anselmo C. Oclarit of Surigao del Norte, Mr. David C. Lozada Jr. of Surigao del Sur, and Ms. Marife L. Alberto of Dinagat Islands.
DENR Acting Secretary Jim O. Sampulna together with other government officials assisted the President during the patent distribution. "Free Patent Titling" is a government program through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) pursuant to Commonwealth Act No. 141 or the Public Land Act.
The law aims to give land titles to landless Filipino citizens through Residential Free Patent and Agricultural Free Patent. Recently, President Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11573 also known as the Act Improving the Confirmation Process for Imperfect Land Titles which simplified the procedures and requirements in granting land titles.
DENR Caraga, represented by its Regional Executive Director Nonito M. Tamayo, has forged an agreement with RARE, Inc. (the Philippines), represented by its Vice-President Roquelito H. Mancao, for the conservation and development of Siargao Islands Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS), in a meeting held at Ambago, Butuan City, on April 6, 2022.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) seeks to enhance the coastal and fisheries management program of the local government units within SIPLAS as a strategy for securing enough food for the fishing communities, climate change adaptation, and biodiversity.
Moreover, under the agreement, the two parties leverage each other's strengths and resources in helping coastal communities implement and sustain effective coastal resource management programs, especially in sustainable fisheries.
Among those who witnessed the MOA signing were ARD for Technical Services Maritess M. Ocampo, PENRO Alejandra B. Boiser of Surigao del Norte, Conservation and Development Division Assistant Chief, Josephine Araojo, DMO III Malou Marilou G. Macabuhay, RARE, Inc. Director May V. Blanco and RARE Program Implementation Manager Julius Guirjen.
DENR Caraga and RARE had initially forged an agreement in 2019 along with the same objectives, and have agreed to continue working together in areas of collaboration that would broadly benefit SIPLAS communities.
DENR Caraga joined the Community Outreach Program at Barangay Mahayahay, Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte on March 30, 2022, as it culminates this year's National Women's Month Celebration with the theme "We Make Change Work for Women."
Together with the efforts of the Caraga Regional Development Council's- Regional Gender and Development Committee, more than 35 women and 35 children from the indigenous community of Barangay Mahayahay received packages of goods that contained canned and packed food, medical and hygiene items, household needs, pairs of shoes, vegetable seedlings, packed lunch, children's books, and school supplies during the outreach activity.
The IP beneficiaries, including their children, also availed essential services such as medical and dental consultations and free COVID-19 vaccination during the activity, which aimed to bring various services closer to women from the marginalized sector and empower them to recognize women's valuable role in society.
The RGADC gave orientations about oral health, proper handling of meat and processed products at home, COVID19 vaccination, waste management, and the role of women in community development.
Moreover, the DENR Caraga Regional GAD Focal Point System-CEPA Committee reproduced and distributed some advocacy campaign materials about gender equality and women's empowerment to inspire actions to promote a gender-responsive pandemic recovery.###
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.
DENR Secretary commits to help in the speedy rehabilitation of Siargao Islands in the briefing conducted by Siargao Islands Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLAS) management during his visit to the protected area on January 15, 2022.
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.##
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy A. Cimatu commits to help fast track the rehabilitation of Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette during his visit in Siargao Islands on January 15, 2022.
“I will be designating RED Nonito M. Tamayo to be the Chairman of the Siargao rehabilitation. I will make sure that he will focus on the restoration of power and tourism in Siargao. We will also ask for the help of other government agencies,” Sec. Cimatu said.
According to Atty. Zander Plaza, Chief of Staff of Governor Francisco Matugas, during Secretary Cimatu’s courtesy visit at the Siargao Incident Command Center in Dapa, Surigao del Norte, relief operation may last for three to four months due to the problem in livelihood as more than 60% of the people in Siargao are dependent on tourism. Thus, there are numerous displaced workers.
“Indeed, livelihood is our biggest problem. In order to help the residents of Siargao, we will implement the cash for work program in the rehabilitation of mangrove areas and we will be hiring the locals to do the job,” Sec. Cimatu said.
There are a total of 132 barangays in Siargao and Bucas Grande Islands, 92 of which are coastal and island barangays. The communities located in the coastal areas are the ones most devastated by the typhoon. To address this problem, the DENR is now conducting an assessment and identification of possible relocation areas. Installation of “no build zone” signages in legal easement areas to prevent residents from building their houses in these high risk areas.
“We will focus on the identification of possible relocation sites for the displaced communities. Rest assured that we will do everything we can to help,” Cimatu added.
A short briefing at the Protected Area Management Office of Siargao Island Protected Landscape and Seascape in Dapa, Surigao del Norte was also conducted in the same day which was attended by PAMO and DENR Caraga Regional Office personnel.
Secretary Cimatu was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Implementor for Visayas Inter-Agency Task Force Major Gen. Mel Feliciano and Executive Assistant Col. Orencio Jeruta during his visit in Siargao.
