Dominguez bares ‘secret’ in preventing forest fires,environmental protection

By Gina Dizon

SABANGAN, Mountain Province -- As mountains get alarmingly razed by fires this summer season, it comes as a reminder that local government units can prevent forest fires from occurring.

With the proper motivation, community peoples’ initiatives and fund support, protecting the forest cover can be done. That is the “secret.”

Environmentalist and congressional candidate for the lone district of Mountain Province Jupiter Dominguez has this to say about protecting the forests from getting burned and keeping forests green the whole year round, while ensuring a source of irrigation water.

The 2006 national awardee of the Local Government Leadership Awards former Sabangan Mayor Jupiter Dominguez promoted the search for the Cleanest and Greenest barangay of Sabangan through the giving of incentives through monetary awards.
Worthy of emulation by other offices and other communities, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued a plaque of appreciation to former Sabangan mayor Dominguez in 2006.

The regional office of the Department of Interior and Local government also recognized the efforts of Dominguez in consistently holding the Barangay Search for the Cleanest and Greenest Barangay under the program on Gawad Pangulo SA Kapaligiran.

“The program on forest protection to LGUs had been devolved to LGUs without accompanying funds. The LGU then has to come up with ways of protecting the forests from its own initiatives”, Dominguez noted.

To support barangay and municipal LGU initiatives, congressional candidate Jupiter Dominguez forwarded the need for a law allocating some amount from irrigation fees collected by the National Irrigation Authority covering agricultural areas where tributaries of the Chico River flow through.

The Chico River starts its headwaters in Bauko, Mountain Province and eventually flows to the Cagayan River on the eastern side of Luzon irrigating a number of rice fields along its water course.

The Chico River forms part of the watershed with a land area of 404,685 hectares and straddles 29 agricultural towns in Mountain Province, Kalinga, Ifugao, Abra, and Apayao.

“Protecting the forests will maintain the source of water for irrigation, electricity generation, domestic use, livelihood, and recreation”, Dominguez noted.