BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
NEGRENSES are now beaming with pride.
This, as Capitol’s wetlands conservation was recently cited as among the Top 10 awardees for the 2021 “Galing Pook” Awards.
Galing Pook is somehow equivalent to FAMAS Award for excellent cinematic achievements. Hence, what a feat, indeed!
Wetlands, for some, are considered to be “wastelands”. In local parlance, they are called “lamawan sang kalibutan”. Tendency-wise, they’re just being ignored. Primitive belief says they’re “haven of monsters” that could harm humans.
Undeniably, wetlands (marshes, rivers, lakes, swamps, etc.) are really homes to migratory water fowls, among other coastal and marine species. But they are not monsters. And once these wetlands vanish, there will be a mass extinction of these animals.
Thus, for Negros’ governors who were all certified “greenies” – Lito Coscolluela, Joseph Marañon, Isidro Zayco, Alfredo Marañon Jr. and now Bong Lacson – wetlands play an important role in the province’s ecological system.
For Coscolluela, who once declared an “Environmental War” in the province, wetlands are now among the “critical” ecosystems that provide breeding grounds not just for migratory birds but also for other fresh and salt water species. Thus, during his incumbency (1992-2001), he started this wetlands conservation in the province.
With Gov. Lacson’s incumbency starting in 2019, it was innovated through Network of Alliances for Coastal Wetlands Conservation (NACWC) Project. Such covers a total of 89,607.81 hectares of wetlands in the southern part of the province. And it stretches to 109.52 kilometers from Bago City to Ilog town.
The current citation for this one-of-a- kind initiative, says Coscolluela, simply highlighted the colossal collaboration and very comprehensive initiative among local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations (NGOs), academe, and local communities in the province.
“We’re so happy that this kind of initiative has been recognized by Galing Pook,” the former governor stresses.
He says there were already a lot of environmental programs cited in Galing Pook since 1994 to date. Thus, it’s really difficult to cop an award or to be included among the Top 10.
But with Gov. Lacson’s leadership through the Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO), underscores Coscolluela, he made such wetlands conservation project into a more unique, very innovative and, most of all, sustainable.
Too, emphasizes Coscolluela, with this kind of initiative, Gov. Lacson also highlighted the so-called Local Conservation Area (LCA).
The “Father of LCA” is also a noted Negrense conservationist Errol Gatumbato. He authored this LCA in 2008, and piloted such in Polillo Group of Islands in Quezon Province.
In 2014, LCA was adopted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in a national gab entitled “National Convention on Local Conservation Area in the Philippines”.
Thus, stresses Gatumbato, the Galing Pook citation for Negros’ wetlands conservation is so timely and relevant for four (major) reasons:
* Negros has the largest wetlands of international importance under the RAMSAR Convention in the Philippines.
* Negros’ wetlands are composed of numerous eco-systems.
* Negros’ wetlands are areas where many communities are dependent for their livelihood.
* Negros’ wetlands have earned recognition and supports from local communities, LGus, NGOs and academe.
Hence, he thanked and congratulated Gov. Lacson for sustaining this kind of “green” initiative.
Gatumbato, likewise, commended the incumbent governor for his untiring support in rehabilitating and protecting Negros’ wetlands.
Negros wetlands conservation is the third Galing Pook award for the province, and second for environmental protection. The first two were Coscolluela’s “Balik Ilahas” (for environment) and Pagkaon 2000 (for agriculture).
So it seems that efforts of the provincial government in protecting our uplands, lowlands and coastal areas are (now) gaining ground, notes Gatumbato.
The Top 10 Galing Pook awardees every year are considered to be the “cream of the crop” in terms of LGU capacities to deliver effective and sustainable best practices benefiting their constituents.
There are more than 200 participating LGUs in this Galing Pook every year.
Galing Pook, per the rationale, encourages LGUs to cultivate a culture of ingenuity and vibrancy in the delivery of the best government services to the people.
SILENT BUT ‘GREENIE’, TOO
On the other hand, Gov. Lacson is known to be a silent-type of a leader. Truth is: he’s always perceived to be an “unassuming” type of governor the province ever had. Yet, the recent Galing Pook award is a testament that, indeed, he has also an utmost concern for Negros’ environment. He’s a greenie, too, that we, Negrosanons, should be proud of.
To be an environmental vanguard is a biblical task as enunciated in the so-called “Green Bible”. Wetlands conservation project is no joke. The title of the project per se connotes tediousness.
But Gov. Lacson with PEMO head, Atty. Julie Ann Bedrio, didn’t hesitate to sustain this kind of project started by his predecessors. And their efforts paid off with a bang!
Meanwhile, believe it or not, recent survey reveals there are more than one billion people around the world making a living from wetlands through rice farming, tourism, transportation and fishing.
Alas, per the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 64 percent of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since 1900. And what’s alarming is the depletion will continue at an accelerated rate of 1.5 percent annually unless there are human interventions, adds the research.
Challenged by this “grim” reality, Gov. Lacson reportedly made a breakthrough in his trajectory of rehabilitating and protecting the wetlands in the province.
By having 10 LGUs, 52 coastal barangays, 10 people’s organizations and 100 community-based environmental law enforcers as beneficiaries, the incumbent governor improved and wisely managed the coastal wetlands in the province by establishing 10 Coastal Wetlands Local Conservation (CWLC).
Among his innovative program components are:
* Establishment of Coastal Wetlands Conservation Areas in the province
* Enforcement of biodiversity regulations
* Promotion of biodiversity-friendly practices and intensifying information, education and campaign (IEC)
Through PEMO, he also allowed the formation of LCA’s “good triad” that includes: empowered communities, science-based programs/projects and sustainable economic growth. The project then ushered in harmonizing plans and programs implementation in the 10 LGUs in the province. Coherence in program implementation and strong collaboration among stakeholders of the project followed then. Thus, it showed “greatness in oneness”.
WORTHY OF PRAISE
Gov. Lacson’s efforts to continue conserving the province’s wetlands, for sure, are not just for the prize. To be one of the 2021 Galing Pook awardee is just a “bonus”. Rather, it is also his or the province’s potent contribution to somehow address the pressing issues on global warming or climate change.
This, as my personal research reveals that wetlands are really “best” to counter climate change. They store carbon, thereby slowing the process of global warming, Carbon storage, adds the research, is the most important ecological function of wetlands. Thus, what Gov. Lacson did to our wetlands was truly a “dignified endeavor” worthy of praise.
After all, American actor Dennis Weaver has this reminder: “We don’t have to sacrifice a strong economy for a healthy environment. For the Bible, in Psalm 24:1, also stresses, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.”
Therefore, kudos to Gov. Lacson, to the past governors and the Province of Negros Occidental as a whole for this “green” initiative also meant to please God, the Creator of heaven and earth!/PN
