RBCO Executive Director Nelson V. Gorospe chairs the 1st Semester E2RB Project Management Committee Meeting.
The E2RB Project Management Committee (PMC) conducted its first semestral meeting of 2023 in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur last June 10-12. It was hosted by DENR Caraga Region with no less than Regional Executive Director Nonito Tamayo, Jr. leading the charge. The hybrid meeting was chaired by Executive Director Nelson V. Gorospe of the River Basin Control Office (RBCO) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Assistant Secretary Marcial Amaro, Jr., E2RB Project Management Committee Chair, and Dr. Klaus Schmitt, E2RB Principal Adviser and co-chair, both joined online.
Dr. Carlos Primo David, Undersecretary for Integrated Environmental Science and Supervising Undersecretary for the River Basin Control Office (RBCO), gave the keynote address, underlining the important role of RBCO in mainstreaming nature-based solutions in addressing the issues faced by river basins such as flooding, pollution, and water insecurity.
The meeting discussed the overall and regional status of project implementation and funding, including the integration of the Watershed Ecosystem Management Information System (WEMIS) with the River Basin Integrated Information Management System (RBIIMS), international learning exchanges, updating of Integrated River Basin Management and Development Master Plans (IRBMDMPs), and strengthening of River Basin Management Council/ River Basin Management Organization.
The PMC approved the updated local subsidy procedures to streamline the approval process. It recognized the urgency of facilitating the implementation of the GIZ financing instruments with the river basin stakeholders to demonstrate the value of EbA within the remaining timeline of the project.
Members of the PMC visited selected sites of the Tagum-Libuganon River, in particular the Saug River Irrigation System, the Sagayen Dam and the junction of the Saug River and Libuganon River that joins with the Tagum River further downstream.
Members of E2RB Project Management Committee visit the Saug River Irrigation System and Sagayen Dam.
Assistant Regional Director Victor T. Billones of DENR Region XI gave an overview of the salient points of the issues and concerns that continuously pose challenges to the project implementation while highlighting the importance of a more comprehensive river basin management.
The next PMC meeting will be hosted by the Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin (IHRB).
The E2RB project is a technical cooperation between the DENR and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) with support from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI). It aims to implement ecosystem-based measures in the Ilog-Hilabangan and Tagum-Libuganon River Basins. (E2RB/ Mylene Grace Velasquez, Marion Antonette Daclan)
