The Official Website of DENR Region VIII

CARING FOR WETLANDS, AN ANSWER

TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Wetlands once again take center stage as the global community celebrates World Wetlands Day on February 2.

Anchored on the international theme for World Wetlands Day 2010 "Wetlands, Biodiversity, and Climate Change," its focus is on Caring for our wetlands - an answer to climate change. This year’s celebration also takes cognizance of the United Nations’ declaration making 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. It recognizes the likely impact of climate change on wetland ecosystems, and the role of wetlands in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Wetlands are areas of land where water covers the soil – all year or just at certain times of the year. They include swamps, marshes, lakes, lagoons, salt marshes, mudflats, mangroves, coral reefs, fens, and peatlands. Wetlands are an important natural resource of the environment as they provide habitat and breeding grounds for fishes and other marine life, among others.
Regional Executive Director Primitivo C. Galinato Jr. stressed that to celebrate WWD 2010, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in region 8 spearheads several activities through the Protected Areas, Wildlife and Coastal Zone Management Service. It shall conduct information, education, communication campaigns to increase public awareness on the importance of wetlands and how climate change may impact wetland ecosystems.

PAWCZMS Regional Technical Director Ricardo T. Tomol informed that Dalaw Turo activities shall be conducted in schools and communities at identified wetland areas Wetland visit and monitoring of migratory birds in Canigao Island, Matalom, Leyte shall also form part of the activities lined up for the celebration.

The tri-media shall also be tapped to help convey the message of World Wetlands Day to the public. A lecture series on Wetlands and Biodiversity shall be sponsored for DENR employees as well as the academe. This will run from February 8-28 at the DENR regional office.

RED Galinato invites the public to visit the DENR regional office where an exhibit on the World Wetlands Day celebration has been set up.

World Wetlands Day is celebrated internationally each year marks the anniversary of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971.

DENR MGB’s NEW RD BARES THRUSTS AND DIRECTIONS

A Mining Engineer by profession, RD De Dios vowed to win the confidence of the people of Eastern Visayas by considering government service as a vocation and delivering an effective and efficient public service. In managing the MGB, Region 8, De Dios said that human behavior in the MGB organization shall be looked into. The outputs and potentials of the 49 existing personnel shall be reviewed. “We will treat everyone fairly. We will create a working environment where love and cooperation among workers prevail instead of fear and hatred”.

RD Roger De Dios (right) accepts the duties and responsibi-lities as MGB 8 RD from outgoing RD Danilo Uykieng (left) in simple turn over rites at the MGB 8 office on January 21, 2010.

Among the areas of concerns that will be looked into are: the revenue generation of the office; effective enforcement of laws; proper relations with the mining sector in promoting and ensuring responsible mining, punctuality in attending meetings; and most importantly, exhort the cooperation of all MGB employees to serve all clients promptly.

Before his assignment to Region 8, De Dios served as Regional Director of the MGB in Region 7, with office in Cebu City. While in Cebu, De Dios earned outstanding ratings from superiors and peers as reflected in his Career Executive Service Officer rating. He also obtained outstanding rating from clients’ feedback.

Regional Executive Director Primitivo C. Galinato, Jr. welcomed RD De Dios to his management team in DENR Region 8. “The caliber of RD De Dios is expected to be of great help in managing the region’s mineral resources development activities as well as geohazards management especially in these times that the Region is posed with global warming and climate change problems”. Galinato quipped.