DENR on with MP community mapping

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Newly installed chief of the Mountain Province- Provincial Environment Natural Resources Office Octavio Cuanso is bullish about completing community mapping  in 112 beneficiary barangays in  Mountain Province, including completion of sub-project proposals  of Integrated Natural Resource Management Project (INREMP).

Cuanso said community mapping shall be done either in clustered barangays or per barangay.

“This includes areas in tenured and untenured lands”, Cuanso added  

In a press conference here, it was learned that sub-project proposals  shall also be forwarded by peoples organizations after community mapping before end of year  2015.

 

There are 10 barangays  in Bauko and Barlig towns subjected to community mapping for reforestation and livelihood  projects  in targetted 112 barangays covering the Chico River watershed basin.

INREMP covers areas along the Chico River basin where tributary rivers  Kalawitan, Bayudan, Malitep,  Amlosong flow from the municipalities of  Bauko, Sagada and  Sabangan; Balitian, Aguyo, Maligcong, Docligan,  Lingoy  tributaries from  the municipalities of  Bontoc and Barlig; Barlig-Tanudan, Lubuagan-Surong, Balbalan-Saltan, Tuao, TabukKalinga;  and  Matalag, Conner, Apayao.

INREMP intends to reduce degradation of watersheds and do associated environmental services though planting of pine trees and other reforestationspecies  and agroforestation in closed and open canopy  forests with planting of coffee and other fruit species. Biodiversity conservation and carbon offsets are other identified approaches to address forest degradation.

Smallholder and institutional investment schemes  though infrastructure development are expected to see realization in  nurseries using indigenous species,  buffers with mixed vegetation, assisted natural regeneration, and seed capital for peoples organizations.

The seven- year $154 million INREMP seeks to address unsustainable management  practices in four river basins in 23 watersheds of the country. 

The major rivers covered are Chico River along Mountain Province-Kalinga-Apayao in the Cordillera region;  and three watersheds basins in southern Mindanao- Wahig-Inabanga  in region 7,Upper Bukidnon in region10  and Lake Lanao at the Autonomous Region of  Muslim Mindanao.  

The seven-year INREMP is projected to be implemented from August 2013 to December 2020 with budget sourced from Asian Development Bank (DB), International Fund  for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Global Environment Facility (GEF), Climate Change Fund (CCF) and with  counterpart from the Local Government Units (LGUs).