With barely nine (9) days before the anniversary of Typhoon Odette’s onslaught in the provinces of Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte, DENR Caraga finally awarded the tenurial instrument for the relocation site of a group of families that were severely affected by the calamity, in a simple ceremony held at one of the events place in Surigao City on December 7, 2022. 

DENR 13 Regional Executive Director Nonito M. Tamayo led the awarding ceremony of the Protected Area Community-Based Resource Management Agreement (PACBRMA) to the People’s Organization - Josafat Farmers and Fisherfolks Association, Inc. (PO-JOFFAI) represented by its president, Ms. Elyn T. Francisco, along with the Municipal Environment Natural Resources Officer of San Isidro, Surigao del Norte, For. Joshue Numbrera.

The awarding of the PACBRMA serves as a springboard of the Siargao Islands Protected Landscapes and Seascapes (SIPLAS) post-disaster implementation plan which involved identifying of proposed areas for relocation/resettlement of affected families/communities following the onslaught of Super Typhoon Odette on December 16 last year.

With the goal of helping the affected families of Siargao get back on their feet in safer areas, the DENR, in close coordination with the concerned local government units, facilitated the organization of the PO-JOFFAI which is composed of 20 tenured migrants of SIPLAS to become the recipient of the tenurial instrument (PACBRMA) that will ensure their legal settlement in the area while helping each other in building a climate-resilient community within the island.

The awarding was witnessed by Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Maritess M. Ocampo; PENRO Agapito T. Patubo of Surigao del Norte; SIPLAS Protected Area Superintendent Celsa G. Espadero; Task Force Build Back Better Technical Working Group representatives, and the officers and members of the PO-JOFFAI.

In his message during the program, RED Tamayo expressed his “hopes that other POs may soon comply with the requirements to facilitate the issuance of their corresponding PACBRMA” to keep them away from the “no-build” zones to safeguard their properties and most importantly, their families.

After the ceremony, a two-day orientation and workshop followed to provide the PO with technical assistance/guidance on the formulation and implementation of their Community Resource Management Plan (CRMP) and its five-year plan.

The PO-JOFFAI, under the PACBRMA, covers an approximate area of 20.9 hectares with the Barangays of Del Carmen and Del Pilar in the municipality of San Isidro in Siargao, Surigao del Norte.#