CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY  (PIA)--In commemoration of the of the 33rd Philippine Environment Month, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-10 reaffirms its commitment to protecting and rehabilitating the environment of Northern Mindanao as it strives to balance development with sustainability amid the coronavirus (COVID)-19 pandemic.

“Ang bulan sa Hunyo giproklamar sa panahon ni Presidente Aquino pinaagai sa Proclamation No. 237 as Environment Month. Aduna’y mga aktbidades nga ginahimo ang Departamento sa Environment and Natural Resources aron lamang mapahibalo sa mga tawo ug makaawhag sa mga katawhan na kita tanan aduna’y responsibilidad sa pag-alima, pag-amuma ug paglambo dili lang sa environment ug apil pud sa kinaiyahan,” said DENR-10 Regional Director Arleigh J. Adorable during the CORDS-X Podcast with Communications Sec. Martin Andanar, June 26.

(President Aquino’s Proclamation No. 237 declared the month of June as Environment Month. In line with this, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources set some activities to inform the public and to remind them that we have responsibilities to take care and develop not only our environment but also our nature)

With the theme, “Sama-samang Pagkilos, Sama-samang Paghilom,” DENR-10 aims to bring the people of Region 10 together in finally addressing environmental issues from across varying levels and enjoin in them living a sustainable lifestyle through their month-long enhance social media campaigns and radio guestings.

Sharing updates on the region’s environmental state, the regional director said they have planted 121 hectares of forest cover in line with their Enhance National Greening Program (ENGP); closely coordinated with the municipality of El Salvador in their coral planting for eco-tourism; assisting land title issues; and provided local government units (LGUs) technical assistance in ensuring proper implementation and monitoring of their respective 10-year solid waste management plans.

Further, to ensure air quality management in the region in accordance with the Clean Air Act of 1999, Adorable said they have established and empowered five air quality sampling stations in the region.

“We have to ensure that our people should always be breathing clean air despite the development offers we are implementing in the Philippines, especially in Region 10 in particular,” he said.

In support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 70, DENR-10 also employed former rebels as forest guards to prevent illegal-logging in the rich forests of Bukidnon.

“Ang development dili dapat mugusbat sa atong kinaiyahan o natural resources kay mao kini ang ato life support systems. Ang pagkagusbat niining natural resources makadaot dili lamang sa atong ekonomiya, sa health atong katawhan, kung dili madaot kinatibuk-ang ambiance sa atong lugar,” he said.

(Development should not go against our environment or natural resources because these are our life support systems. The destruction of these resources will not only affect our economy and the health of our people, but also the entire ambiance of the region). (VPSB/PIA-10)