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THE OFFICIAL E-NEWSLETTER OF THE PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.PIA.GOV.PH and the DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY - SIQUIJOR | WWW.DOST.GOV.PH
VOL. 2 | NO. 42 December 9-16, 2014
Siquijor PENRO says LGU CRM framework should gear towards climate change adaptation SIQUIJOR (PIA)—Coastal resource management (CRM) framework of the local government units of the province should gear towards contributing climate change adaptation and enhancing resiliency to the coastal areas. This the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) expressed during the Information and Education Campaign (IEC) held at the Provincial Coastal Resource Management (PCRM) office in Larena, Siquijor recently. Tagra committed to support and intensify program for the coastal resource management in Siquijor following a recent study that assessed the province’s coastal resources with high vulnerability to both nature and human destruction. He said the DENR is continuously conducting studies, rehabilitations, assessments and reports to identify and provide proper actions for addressing coastal concerns. Several programs have also been organized to mainly focus on coastal and marine resources conservation, he said. These, and other initiatives such as trainings, rehabilitation activities and information drives have been intensified to strengthen the battle against coastal and marine degradation, Tagra said. He cited the Sustainable Coral
stabilization mats, he explained. He said a number of low relief and high relief fish habitats were deployed to marine protected areas (MPAs) to support and provide shelter for fishes. Tagra urged all local stakeholders to actively share the best practices and lessons learned in Siquijor province citing that the Philippines’ designs and protocols for reef rehab specifically targeted for typhoon damaged areas are still being developed and are on its experimental stages. The PENRO hopes to complement the methods with existing effective protocols and manuals so that DENR can introduce protocols and methods for large-scale rehab
that can be implemented by LGUs and coastal communities. Ta g r a a l s o e n c o u r a g e e v e r y Siquijodnon to contribute in decision-making and planning stages of coral reef and MPAs. Per records from the DENR, the province has estimated 1,384.71 hectares of coral reef area; 211.17 hectares of MPAs covering the 18 MPAs province wide. He said everyone must take active participation in the protection and conservation of the coastal assets because these will provide not only income and livelihood to locals but also to the tourism industry that is identified as the biggest contributor to the island’s local economy. (mbcn/RAC/PIA7-Siquijor w/ reports from Katrina Abing/ DENR-PIO)
SIQUIJOR, (PIA)— The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recently launched in Siquijor province the Expanded Students’ Grant-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PIA). DSWD assistant regional director Maria Shelaine Lucero said the program is created by the government to free the cycle of poverty in the country as she urged studentbeneficiaries to grab the opportunity and take every single chance to finish college education. “Not all students in the whole archipelago are given the same opportunity, she said. She said the study grant is a continuous and additional financial assistance
from the national government that ensures full coverage of education for the children of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries. Lucero said there are still 40 slots available out of the 234 given for Siquijor. She explained that the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has increased the scholarship slots nationwide from 4,041 in school year 2012-2013 to 40,453 this year. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) allotted some P2.5 billion for the implementation of the ESGP-PA this school year, adds CHED regional director Freddie Banal, also during the launching. He said the DBM would release the funds directly to the 35 participating state
universities and colleges (SUCs) nationwide. Student grantees would receive a maximum of P60,000 each per year. The fund covers students’ tuition and other school fees and extracurricular expenses, textbooks, board and lodging, transportation, and clothing, among others. ESGP-PA is a joint program of the CHED, DSWD, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and the Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC). It aims to contribute in effectively addressing poverty by increasing the number of graduates in higher education among poor households. (mbcn/RAC/PIA7-Siquijor w/ reports from IAAbatayo)
Reef Ecosystems Management Program (SCREMP) as the DENR’s major ongoing project that provides strategic and sustainable ecosystembased approach in protecting and rehabilitating coastal and coral reef. The DENR has also assisted in the installation of amazon nets as low relief fish habitat for reef fish recovery. These amazon nets buoyed with cable tie and marine epoxy were utilized for fast and easy ways of attaching loose coral recruits on the
.PENRO Tagra (right) in a chat with his staff and the Philippine Army in one of the tree planting activities in Siquijor province
Expanded students’ GIA program launched in Siquijor; seen to free the cycle of poverty