𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐑-𝟏𝟐, 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

 

𝐊𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘, 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐨 – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 12 and its partner government agencies have continued their firm commitment and strong partnership in protecting the environment and natural resources (ENR) in the region in a meeting on Thursday (March 16) in this city.

The members of the Soccsksargen Environmental Protection Task Force (SEPTF) presented their accomplishments in enforcing ENR laws and discussed some environmental issues in the region such as illegal logging, illicit wildlife trade, charcoal transport, and unregistered chainsaws, including the possibility of oil spill occurrence in the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape - in which the lead agencies assured that the region is prepared.

Atty. Felix S. Alicer, regional executive director of the DENR-12 and SEPTF chair, said the task force meeting serves as the venue for members to talk over and address several challenges in enforcing ENR laws. “Although the DENR is the lead agency in implementing these laws, working alone without the support of other law enforcement agencies is a challenge for us that is why we need to converge to accomplish more,” he said.

According to RED Alicer, the stages in law enforcement are the prevention, detection, apprehension, and prosecution in which each of the task force members has a role to play.

Engr. Mama G. Samaon, DENR-12 assistant regional director for technical services, also lauded the accomplishments of partner agencies in enforcing ENR laws which helped a lot in preserving the environment. “We are all obliged to protect the environment that is why we are here today. We thank you for your help and efforts because the DENR cannot do the environmental protection alone without your help,” he said.

In 2021, a memorandum of agreement between the DENR-12 and partner government agencies was signed to create the SEPTF which aims to optimize the ridge to reef ENR protection, management and conservation and strengthen partnership for the mobilization of stakeholders in ENR preservation and law enforcement. The task force also seeks to harmonize the involvement and mandate of different concerned agencies/entities for the common goal of environmental protection and conservation in the Soccsksargen Region. | RSCIGM