MANILA, (PNA) — Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 4-A Calabarzon Regional Director Reynulfo Juan welcomed the participants to Calabarzon’s summer resort Tagaytay City during the opening of the 3rd National Summit on Environmental Law Enforcement at Hotel Dominique along Aguinaldo Highway.
Tagaytay is best known for its cool weather and its top ridges provide the best view of Taal Volcano Protected Landscape (TVPL), he said.
He likewise discussed experiences in protecting and preserving TVPL, particularly in successfully reducing the number of fish cages from 13,000 units – way above the lake’s carrying capacity – to the recommended 6,000 units or less in 2012 up to the present.
The two-day summit, which has for its theme ‘Sustaining Collaboration on Environmental Law Enforcement,’ drew some 120 participants from the Bureau of Customs, DA-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, Forest Management Bureau, Land Transportation Office, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, National Bureau of Investigation, National Museum, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Philippine Air Force, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Ports Authority, PNP Maritime Group, Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, Environmental Management Bureau, DENR regional directors and DENR-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
The summit’s participants’ task is to formulate the Multi-year Action Plan for environmental law enforcement nationwide, identify activities for incorporation in the road map and ensure its implementation for the next five years.
The summit and target road map’s formulation has the support of USAID with the presence of Joseph Foltz, Deputy Director of its Office of Environment, Energy and Climate Change (OEECC).
Also gracing the affair were DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Demetrio Ignacio, DENR Assistant Secretary Marcial Amaro, concurrently chairperson of the National Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee-Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources, and Oliver Agoncillo, Natural Resources Policy Advisor, also of USAID OEECC.(PNA)