DENR, DILG join forces to protect environment

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) signed recently a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to strengthen their partnership in the pro-tection and development of the environment natural resources.

The MOA is aimed at improving the over-all health of the environment, uplifting the socio-economic condition of upland communities, conserving biodiversity, strengthening food and fiber security, and stabilizing the supply of water from watersheds.

The signing was held at the Conference Hall of the Philippine National Police, Regional Office, Campetic, Palo, Leyte on Dec. 16, 2003. DENR Regional Executive Director Leonardo R. Sibbaluca signed the MOA with DILG Regional Director William C. Paler, and PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Dionisio Benito Coloma, Jr.

"Environmental protection and natural resources conservation is everybody’s concern. This is a gigantic tack, that we at the DENR alone, cannot do without the support of other sectors of society," Sibbaluca said.

"We cannot discount the assistance of the PNP, and the local government units in the conduct of forest protection and law enforcement," he added.

Last year, the joint operation of the DENR-LGU-PNP and other law enforcement agencies confiscated 113,636 board feet of lumber valued at P2.6 million.

Coloma pledged to strengthen the support of the PNP in the forest protection and law enforcement effort of the DENR as what they have been doing before. He said, together with the problems on illegal drugs and illegal fishing the PNP is also concentrating on their pursuit against illegal loggers or forest law violators.