Climate Change/Environment

COTABATO CITY -- Three public elementary schools in Maguindanao have been underwater due to torrential rains affecting the province and the rest of Mindanao the past few days.

The flooded schools are the Pagatin Elementary School in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town; Sambulawan Elementary School (Shariff Saydona Mustapha); and Barurao Elementary School (Sultan sa Barongis).

Alibai Benito Aliuden, Maguindanao 1st division schools’ superintendent, quoted a report from the school principals of the affected schools that flooding had been a perennial problem.

KIDAPAWAN CITY – At least 10 houses made of light materials were destroyed after what residents believed was a freak tornado that hit farming communities in Barangay Buayan, Mlang, North Cotabato Sunday night, a belated report showed.

Bernardo Tayong, Mlang Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (MDRRM) officer, said strong wind during heavy down pour at past 6 p.m. totally destroyed four homes while the rest sustained partial damages.

A huge mango tree and several coconut trees were also toppled down and hit several homes.

KORONADAL CITY - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 12 is intensifying campaign to save Philippine Eagle from extinction and celebrated its life as a national bird in observance of the Philippine Eagle Week on June 4-10, 2019. 

DENR 12 Regional Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria emphasized the significance of Philippine Eagle as a symbol of pride of the country during the launching of the Philippine Eagle Week (PEW) at the Atrium of Robinsons Place in General Santos City last week.

GEN SK PENDATUN, Maguindanao - The military and tourism officials  on Monday freed a captured Oriental Darter, one of the endangered bird species in Maguindanao marshland, back to the wild.

"No bird was born to live in a cage. Oriental Darter was saved, rescued and released (to) where it belonged," said 1Lt. Mary Grace Orden, the 33rd Infantry "Makabayan" Battalion Civil Military Operations (CMO) officer.

1Lt. Orden and Tacurong City Tourism Officer Emelie Jamorabon lead the sending back to the wild of the endangered bird.

COTABATO CITY  – Alert soldiers intercepted Tuesday illegally cut forest products, a firearm and arrested three persons in Barira, Maguindanao, the military here said. 

First Lieutenant Ric Pitallano, commanding officer of the Bravo company of the 37th Infantry Battalion, said in a report that 1,832 board feet of lumber of various sizes in two cargo trucks were intercepted in Sitio Kalilangan, Barangay Lamin, Barira, Maguindanao.

KORONADAL CITY – Officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DERN-12) have released an olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) sea turtle in Sarangani Bay on Thursday, May 23, 2019.

At 7:00 in the morning, officials of DENR Region XII headed by Regional Executive Director Nilo B. Tamoria, CENR Officer of Glan Abdul C. Cariga and Technical Service Division Chief, Dr. Rosalinda B. Cortez and some local folks finally freed the estimated to be less than a year old olive ridley sea turtle to the ocean to live normally in their natural habitat.

KORONADAL CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region XII will intensify actions on the need to protect Sarangani Bay alarmed on the death of at least three sea turtles on the shores of Sarangani on May 3, Friday.

DENR Protected Area Superintendent (PASu) of Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS) Joy C. Ologuin revealed that there were several incidents on the death of marine animals for the past few months.

KORONADAL CITY - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region (DENR) XII and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is stepping up its effort to attain better Solid Waste Management (SWM) program in the region.

As a takeoff, 12 permanent and technical personnel from EMB were deployed to different DENR XII field offices as Provincial Environmental Management Officer (PEMO) and Community Environmental Management Officer (CEMO).