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Calamba
City, Laguna - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
CALABARZON entered into partnership through signing of Memorandum of Agreement
(MOA) with the Atikha Overseas Workers and Communities Initiative Inc. for the
greening initiatives in the Region.
The
Atikha is a non-government organization working with Overseas Filipino Workers
(OFW) and their families. They have adopted 34 hectares of graduated NGP Site
planted with coffee and guyabano, located at Barangay Concepcion-Pinagbakuran
and Concepcion-Banahaw, Sariaya, Quezon, which was found within the Mts.
Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape.
“Even
if the area to be adopted will be 34 hectares and with 86% survival rate, what
I am impressed with Atikha is its concept of livelihood and support to the
communities” expressed Tayabas Community ENR Officer Cyril Coliflores. “I am
also challenging the Atikha to be a good partner of the DENR in enhancing and
helping the communities within the NGP Area”, he added.
“We
already have 89 MOAs all throughout CALABARZON”, Regional NGP Coordinator
Herminigildo Jocson disclosed. He also
compared the bayanihan spirit to the Tayo Ang Kalikasan program, “DENR cannot
really perform all these activities for our environment, we really need the
help of our civil society for us to address climate change and regreening
program”, he added.
Meanwhile,
Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Alfredo Palenceia lauded the
women behind Atikha for taking on the challenge of being a partner of the
Agency.
Ms.
Estrella Anonuevo, Chairperson of Atikha, expressed her appreciation to DENR,
“natutuwa ako sa partnership
na ito dahil magiging instrumento ang Atikha sa pagpoprotekta natin sa environment as
well as assist our farmers”. She added that their organization plans to
stimulate the local economy and provide jobs and alternative sources of income
for the community, “ang plano ng Atikha for the 5-Year Development Plan is to
make this as a model project for agroforestry farm business kung
saan kikita ang ating farmers”.
DENR
CALABARZON Regional Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria emphasized the
importance and challenges of the management of an NGP site located within a
Protected Area, “sisiguraduhin natin na maireverse ang biodiversity loss into a
better survival rate at magkaroon ng impact sa ating ecosystem, at the same time
yung economic component at yung sinasabing social enterprise.” He also added that
the bigger challenge lies in the actual implementation of the agreements
stipulated in the MOA.
Further,
PENRO Salac invites all NGO specifically in Quezon province to adopt NGP sites
in the province.
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