DENR slammed for ‘reactive’ response to environmental

MANILA, Philippines —  Sen. Raffy Tulfo called for stronger environmental protection and accountability, particularly in the management of the country’s protected areas, following the recent landfall of Super Typhoon Uwan which battered Luzon over the weekend.

In his manifestation of support for the privilege speech of Sen. Erwin Tulfo urging protection for Sierra Madre after the typhoon, the older Tulfo lamented that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has always remained reactive instead of proactive in addressing abuse of the environment.

“The problem with our environment is that damages are often irreversible. That is why prevention should be our priority, not rehabilitation. It will take years, even decades, to bring back any damage to our environment. And the cost is nowhere near any economic advantage that we can gain from some of the projects,” he said.

Tulfo cited as an example the Kaliwa Dam Project, which he opposed years ago due to its irreversible impact on the Sierra Madre ecosystem and the displacement of indigenous communities. DENR later suspended the project after several environmentalist groups warned that it could threaten the lives of 100,000 residents once built.

“At the moment, there is a go signal for the Kaliwa Dam project, is it because people’s attention have been diverted? Are the concerns of the indigenous peoples addressed? While the MWSS (Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System) claimed that only half of the village will be affected, indigenous groups and villagers said the waters would submerge up to 90 percent of the village as only houses situated 70 meters and above will be spared,” he said.

Tulfo also called for a review of the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, which governs the country’s protected areas.

“There is a need to instill better regulatory systems. Community participation in the regulation must be strengthened. Because just like infra projects, it is the communities that point out irregularities. It is the community that has genuine concern for the environment,” he said.