by Lito Dar

Baguio City (7 November) -- Barely on his second day of duty as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Executive Director (RED) Regidor De Leon gamely faced the local media in a Kapihan forum, Wednesday, to discuss the environmental issues and concerns in the region.

According to De Leon, the forum served as a media briefing for him on the environmental issues and concerns that he needs to address as the new DENR head. De Leon has already assumed different posts in regions II, III and VIII and at the DENR's Central Office.

De Leon noted that the issue of global warming, climate change, Solid waste management, water management and the Clean Air Act, are s the same in every part of the country, though how to address it differs on the coordination and support of the other sector of society.

DENR Forest Management Service Regional Technical Director Augusto Lagon is optimistic that we can outsmart the effects of climate change depending on the preparations made. According to Lagon, what people just need to know is the vulnerability of the area where they are in, so that they can act to avoid the loss of lives and minimize the damage to properties.

De Leon pointed out that Cordillera's geography is unique especially Baguio and Benguet, wherein there are highly sloped areas occupied by communities. These are susceptible to erosion but through the help DENR's Geo-hazard mapping, we could identify the areas wherein there is a need to relocate the people and the areas where we can create mitigation plans to lessen the risk to human lives and properties, he added.

Lagon also outlined the importance of advocacies and mitigation programs on climate change. Taking the scenario brought by typhoon "Pepeng" in Baguio City, Lagon stressed the importance of addressing the problem of poor drainage in the affected residential areas and on focusing on the reforestation of the city.

Only 25 percent of Baguio remains forested and this percentage includes forest or trees besides residential houses, according to Lagon.

The protection and rehabilitation of the region's watershed is another climate change mitigation plan the government is working on. Lagon disclosed that they have already done an inter-agency and an inter-regional watershed summits and that they are now in the process of completing the region's Comprehensive Watershed Plan.

As for the city's problem on the illegal settlers on the Busol Watershed, De Leon assured that he will look into the issue as illegal settlers living in such areas defeats the purpose of having a watershed. He also stressed that the cooperation of the people is needed to stop the migration in such protected areas; for those people qualified to stay there to help manage the area; and for the re-settlement of those who should not be there.