NGP expert takes over headship of DENR Caraga

Sunday 8th of July 2012

BUTUAN CITY, July 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon JP Paje had pulled out his top key official in the National Greening Program (NGP) Mario D. Mendoza on Thursday, to head DENR-Caraga after he relieved its regional director, Leonardo R. Sibbaluca, over unabated illegal logging activities.

Mendoza, who works as Assistant Secretary for Special Projects at the Office of Secretary Paje, said he has left several unfinished projects at the central office when he was ordered to assume his new post.

Mendoza was accompanied by the director of the Forest Management Bureau Nonito M. Tamayo who replaced regional technical director of Forest Management Services Musa Saruang.

Mendoza and Tamayo immediately proceeded to the DENR training Center shortly after they arrived in Butuan City where they were met by cheering employees at the DENR Training Center in Barangay Ambago, this city.

In his acceptance remark, ASec Mendoza said he will worked with different organizations to implement new strategies to uplift the economic condition of the people in the upland barangays.

He, however, clarified that their mission is anchored on pushing the social reform agenda of President Aquino by promoting agri-business in the uplands where about 80 percent of the people are dependent on the forest for a living.

“We will function as technical support to the anti-illegal logging operations being undertaken by the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force Kalikasan headed by executive director Renato Miranda, a retired general of the Philippine Marines,” Mendoza said.

In his farewell statement, Sibbaluca said his 18-month stint in Caraga Region had been challenging although their efforts earned little appreciation from the people. He said he had put his “best foot forward” in pursuing the anti-illegal logging operations even in critical areas such as the rebel-infested mountain forest at the boundary of Loreto, Agusan del Sur and Melale, Compostela Valley Province .

”We have cheated death several times when we dared penetrate critical forest areas to extract the heavy equipment at the height of our operations and these experiences will serve as my inspirations wherever the Secretary may be pleased to assign me,” he said.

“This is our mandate,” Sibbaluca as he expressed his sincere thanks to the employees of the DENR Caraga for their support.

Incoming RED Mendoza said he has not known so far of any regional executive Ddrector of DENR who had put himself at the frontline in the anti-illegal logging operations as Sibbaluca had done and therefore his exemplary service is admirable.”

Mendoza requested the outgoing Sibbaluca to join him for the meantime in crafting new strategies aimed at solving the perennial problems on illegal logging in regions Caraga and 11.

“We are confronted with a complicated problem amidst a tall order from the President to stop illegal logging,” he said.

ASEC Mendoza is a product of the University of the Philippines where he finished Bachelor of Science in Forestry in 1985. He obtained his Master in Development Management from the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in 1993. He served as program director of the Bantay Kalikasan, and consultant and program adviser at the ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.

He is a faculty member of the Department of Social Forestry and Forest Governance, College of Forestry and Natural Resources, UPLB. He served as director of Forest Management Bureau, DENR from 2009 to 2010 where he was elevated to assistant secretary of Special Projects. (NCLM/Eric F. Gallego/DENR-Caraga/PIA Caraga)