The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region VII and the Negros Oriental Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Office (PENRO) hosted the field visit of the E2RB Project Management Committee (PMC) to three strategic sites in the Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin in Negros Oriental for the E2RB PMC Meeting in November 2023.
The three sites were the Hilabangan River headwater in Barangay Guincalaban, Tayasan, the mechanized nursery in Banban, Ayungon and the local subsidy project Protection and Conservation of Biodiversity as Ecosystem-based Adaptation of Mabinay, Negros Oriental.
Mechanized nursery in Banban, Ayungon.
Representatives from the DENR River Basin Control Office (RBCO), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), DENR Regions VI and VII and PENRO-Negros Oriental, with no less than PENRO Viernov Grefalde leading the way, joined the PMC site visits.
The PMC discussed project implementation updates including progress in the local subsidy contracts to support partners in the application of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) measures.
The local government of Mabinay, inspired by their experiences in, learnings from, and insights into the EbA implementation, submitted a project proposal to the national government for a ₱300 million-water project that incorporates EbA measures to ensure sufficient supply of clean drinking water.
In Barangay Guincalaban, Tayasan, the PMC learned that the Barangay Council was worried about the prospecting and exploration activities for silica mining and how mining would impact on the quality of their drinking water.
The meeting also examined the 2024 work plan including the end-term project evaluation and closing events. (E2RB/ Marion Daclan, Dolores Nuevas)
About the authors:
- Ms. Marion Daclan is the Chief Adviser of the E2RB project
- Ms. Dolores Nuevas is the Senior Regional Coordinator for IHRB
