LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – – The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) calls for convergence of efforts in the fight and awareness campaign against forest fires down to the community level as burnt areas in the province already reached 899.53 hectares.
PENRO head Edgardo Flor disclosed during the Cordillera Regional and Benguet Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DRRMC) meeting at Strawberry Valley Hotel here, that from January to date, there are already 12 significant forest fire occurrences recorded in eight out of the 12 municipalities in the province. Estimated damages are pegged at P2.077 million excluding the present and future effects to the region’s ecological and environment situation.
The town of Kabayan is the most hit with around 643.69 hectares of burnt forests including 191.54 hectares of National Greening Program areas and parts of the country’s identified protected forest areas.
Other forest fire incidents were reported in the municipalities of Tuba, Bakun, Tublay, Bokod, Atok, Kibungan and La Trinidad.
Flor reported that the forest fires were mainly due to foliage preparation for cattle raising, and slash and burn or “kaingin” practice of farmers expanding their plant areas in the mountain. Others were due to negligence of local folks and tourists or campers/trekkers.
The absence of rainfall in the past few months that caused the drying of pine trees, grass and other forest resources in Benguet, coupled with the moderate to strong wind due to the Northeast monsoon are added factors to the province’s problem on forest fires, Flor said.
In terms of response, he informed that in partnership with the Bureau of Fire and Protection and other local stakeholders, they are doing their best efforts to implement fire suppression activities. However, the mountainous topography of the province including the lack of access roads towards the highly sloped or steep areas of the fire sites added difficulty in responding. He appealed for convergence of efforts down to the barangay level.
CRDRRMC chairperson and Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Albert Mogol asked for a project proposal from Benguet PDRRMC and PENRO that the CRDRRMC can act upon, or elevate to the National DRRMC for funding, if necessary.
Mogol also proposed mapping of the areas where forest fires usually happen so that water impounding projects can be implemented in the nearest possible sites or other measures can be put in place.
“With the emergence of various hazards issues and concerns besetting our populace such as the forest fire incidents, the more that we need to converge and harmonize our efforts,” Mogol said.**JDP/CCD-PIA CAR
