CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Region 10 Director Henry A. Adornado shared during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on July 12 that they have strengthened protection and monitoring of vast areas through Administrative Order No. 2023-01 which adopts modern initiatives such as artificial intelligence.
He mentioned this as DENR continues to enforce and carry its mandates in protecting, conserving, managing, and developing the country’s environment and natural resources.
“To strengthen protection and monitoring vast areas under this administration, we have established the national environment and natural resources geospatial database through the DENR Administrative Order No. 2023-01, which aims to promote the utilization of satellite remote sensing, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and geographic information system (GIS) for policy, planning, and decision-making,” he said.
In addition, Adornado noted that there are currently nine legislated protected areas in various provinces across the region.
“It is with great pride that we have four ASEAN-declared heritage parks,” Adornado shared.
These heritage parks are the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park in Bukidnon, Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park in Misamis Occidental, Mt. Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument in Camiguin, and the latest addition, the Mt. Inayawan Range Natural Park in Lanao del Norte launched last June 2023.
The DENR-10 director said these demonstrate that Northern Mindanao has exceptional wilderness and biodiversity, fostering greater awareness, appreciation, enjoyment, and conservation of the protected areas (PAs).
Protected areas are essential for conservation, environmental health, and community well-being, which the director said offer profound and valuable benefits to communities that encompass social, economic, and cultural benefits.
Protected areas play a critical role in biodiversity conservation, ensuring ecosystem services, supporting socio-economic development, and contributing to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
DENR-10 also employed digitalization in its processes. They launched the online gratuitous permit application in 2023 to promote technologies and fast-track processes. This innovation is in addition to the existing online wildlife local transport permit and free patent application tracking system.
Jing Macaibay, a lumber trading business owner from Cagayan de Oro City, shared that she has been availing of the chainsaw registration services of DENR for ages.
Macaibay’s lumber trading business existed since the 1990s. She said that the processing of permits has now improved in several ways, especially since the service is already available online.
Feedback is also quick since she receives calls if there are remarks on the application or if she lacks documents.
DENR-10 continues to introduce more initiatives like these for their program beneficiaries. They are also pushing for a solid partnership with local governments, people’s organizations, the private sector, and other government agencies in protecting and managing the country’s forests and forest lands.
“DENR-10 achieved significant and sustainable outcomes in environmental protection and conservation through the support of our stakeholders. This success fuels our determination and optimism to create innovative solutions through good governance and collaboration with communities,” Adornado said. (IJBD/PIA-10)
