Ages ago until now trash has become a huge problem in our society –and it’s spreading everywhere.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6 has lined-up activities this National Clean Up Month, and one of the highlights is the conduct of the annual International Coastal Clean Up (ICC) with a theme: “Clean Seas for Healthy Fisheries” on September 16, 2023, Saturday. The ICC is the world’s largest volunteer effort for ocean’s health, and to inform the public about the growing beach pollution. This will be conducted along the coastal areas of Brgy. Sto. Niño Norte to Brgy. Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo, Iloilo City.

 “Trash, garbage, or litter doesn’t only affect our land surface but also our water, air, and health, and now, as we celebrate the National Clean Up Month this September may we always bear in mind that this trash can be moderated and properly manage if we help in clean-up activities by picking wastes and disposing it properly,” said DENR 6 Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran.

In year 1993, with the Presidential Proclamation No. 244, declaring the month of September as the National Clean-up Month and the 17^th to the 23^rd of September as the World Clean and Green Week. To illuminate waste and reduce environmental pollution, volunteers and environmental group advocates across the nation gather to participate in these events/activities by cleaning their own community, school premises, parks, rivers, coastal, and other areas.

Furthermore, this September, the DENR will also be conducting a Handog Titulo Program on Lands Day that will be held this September 29, 2023.

The month of September the Civil Service Commission (CSC) will be celebrating the 123^rd Philippine Civil Service Anniversary, with a theme: “Transforming Public Service in the Next Decade: Honing Agile and Future-Ready Servant Heroes.” The DENR 6 fully supports one of the agency’s activities, the Plant-Run on September 17, 2023 (Sunday) at Brgy. Dacutan, Dumangas, Iloilo.

On September 26, 2023, World Environment Health Day Celebration, the Department of Health (DOH) will be conducting Biyaheng Kalusugan on September 25-28, 2023 dedicated to raise awareness about the importance of a healthy environment and its impact on well-being.

Other Environmental events for this month are as follows; International Ozone Day on September 16, and Zero Emissions Day on September 21.

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 06 September 2023

Every year on June 8th, mark the World Oceans Day to raise awareness about the importance of the ocean. This year's theme, “Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing” urges for worldwide action to prevent overfishing, combat climate change, and protect oceans in order to protect and conserve global marine ecosystem.

In observance of World Oceans Day, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6 joined the Nationwide Simultaneous Coastal Clean-Up at Brgy. Alegre, Oton, Iloilo City.

The event brought together nearly four hundred (400) participants from various government agencies and local communities, namely: DENR Regional Office, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Provincial ENR Office Iloilo, CENRO Guimbal, Local Government Unit (LGU) of Oton, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office of Iloilo, Brgy. Officials of Brgy. Alegre, and local residents.

They had collected a total of eighty nine (89) sacks filled with 844.5 kilograms of waste. The assortment of trash collected during the clean-up included plastic bottles, food wrappers, styrofoam, and other non-biodegradable materials that pose a significant threat to the marine ecosystem.

“As we gather and cleaned up the shoreline, removing the debris and litter that had accumulated over time, I can sense the unwavering commitment and urge to environmental conservation of each individual,” said Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran.

 “While World Oceans Day may be over, but the call to action in protecting our coastal and marine ecosystems continues throughout the year,” he added.

World Oceans Day serves as a reminder that the fate of all species on Earth is inextricably linked to the status of our oceans. Today's decisions will have far-reaching effects for future generations. As the globe celebrates our oceans, the compelling need to revive our ocean's health has been clearer.

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Parent Category: News & Events

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Published: 04 August 2023

As early as five o’clock in the morning, hundreds of volunteers led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 6 gathered at Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo, Iloilo to join the first ever simultaneous activity nationwide leading towards the achievement of the goals of World Environment Day 2023.

The DENR 6 regional office have conducted a coastal cleanup in celebration of the World Environment Day on June 5, 2023.

Close to five hundred volunteers coming from DENR 6, its line bureaus – the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) – and other agencies, such as the Department of Tourism led by Regional Director Crisanta Marlene P. Rodriguez, Coast Guard Station – Iloilo led by Commander Paterno Belarmino Jr, Provincial Government ENRO led by Atty. Cesar Emmanuel P. Buyco, Jr., and PNP Maritime Group – Iloilo MARPSTA led by Police Major Wilmar B Bolivar, have joined the environmental activity. Also joining the volunteers is a group of medical responders named Heartss, Inc. led by its Organizing Founder Jacqueline Catinan, and local folks were also present.

A total of 109.5 sacks equivalent to 1,167.2 kilos of plastic wastes were collected during the activity. The DENR 6 through its Conservation and Development Division (CDD) in collaboration with EMB and PENRO Iloilo teams, mapped out six segments from Sto. Niño Sur down to Arevalo-Oton boundary in Brgy. Alegre covered during the coastal cleanup. Each segment stretches to 400 meters with a total length of 2.4 kilometer. Data gathered revealed most of the wastes collected are grocery bags and residuals.

“This year’s Environment Month theme is “No to Waste: Advancing Circular Economy to #beatplasticpollution” and we continue to urge everyone to properly manage wastes, especially plastics. But we are happy to note that there are now less plastic wastes collected during the activity compared in the past years,” said DENR 6 Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran.

“This only means that our coastal communities are now embracing the importance of keeping the environment free from plastic litters. Our education campaign is now paying off,” he added.

The nationwide simultaneous WED activity was spearheaded by the DENR Central Office and carried out by all DENR regional offices and line bureaus. The field offices have also joined in by conducting either a coastal cleanup, mangrove or tree planting activities.

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Published: 15 June 2023

Dubbed as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Region 6 partners and force multipliers of the DENR’s programs, the Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Ambassadors are still on the move in helping achieve the Department’s goals.

Despite their busy schedules with their school activities and household chores, the ENR Ambassadors had once again proven that they are the future of our Fatherland. Some of the highlights of their activities were as follows;

In the province of Aklan, the ENR Ambassadors joined the conduct of Dalaw Turo session of the Provincial ENR Office-Aklan. Series of orientation-lectures, video presentations, drawing, cheers and yells, and environmental games were done and were participated by selected youths and students. It aims to increase the level of awareness of the participants on Biodiversity, Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, Solid Waste Management, and the importance of the environment.

ENR Ambassadors Antique conducted a one-day culminating workshop entitled: Leaders of Today Culminating Workshop. They also conducted a coastal clean-up and joined the Cave Month Celebration last April. The coastal clean-up was done with distribution of informative flyers entitled “Pag-Amlig sa Atun Baybay,” made by the ENR Ambassadors Antique to spread awareness and encourage the community to help protect the seas.

For the province of Capiz ENR Ambassadors, they had presented various tips to help protect the environment through infographics they designed. It includes planting tree, volunteering for environment projects, conserving water, observing the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), bike more, and many other environmentally sustainable activities.

Meanwhile, the ENR Ambassadors from the province of Guimaras joined the conduct of the PENRO’s Dalaw Turo at the Jordan National High School, Nueva Valencia National High School, and Buenavista National High School, where they meet the mascots of Taklong Island National Marine Reserve (TINMR) namely: “Paw-paw” the Pawikan and “Ban-ban” the Banagan, Guimaras’ flagship species.

The ENR Ambassadors Iloilo had conducted lectures on salient features of Solid Waste Management (ESWM) at Estancia National High School, highlighting the roles of an individual in environmental protection. The lectures were also made enjoyable with environmental games and trivia questions prepared by the ENR Ambassadors.

Lastly, the ENR Ambassador Negros Occidental rolled-out the Project HAKOT (Having Awareness and Knowledge of the Territory) spearheaded by the Hope Builders Organization Negros Island, Inc (HBONI). It is an informative drive campaign focusing on providing seminars to swineherds of Brgy. San Pablo, Manapla, Negros Occidental to raise awareness on how to properly dispose their pig wastes.

            “Our ENR Ambassadors, despite their young minds, had helped us in our goal of protecting, maintaining the balance of our ecosystem, and gave us the pride of being one with us. We look forward to more youths joining their zeal for environmental protection,” Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran.

“I want to challenge the other youths to transform themselves, feed their mind with ideas on how to help our Earth, and prove that they are the hope of the future generations,” RED Duran added.

The ENR Ambassadors were endorsed by their respective school/organization heads and were verified by the Provincial ENR Office’s Information Officers (IOs) to serve as an effective partner and force multiplier in changing the behaviour of the people towards environmental stewardship.

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Published: 29 May 2023

More or less four hundred (400) Crown of Thorns (COTs) were removed at the marine area of Malabagon Reef in Escalante City, Negros Occidental during the conduct of coastal clean-up, just recently.

The COTS is a large starfish named for the spines that cover its body and arms. It is also known to permanently damage coral reefs, and scientists consider it a species of concern –not because its numbers are too low but because locally high numbers can threaten other species.

During the initial removal on March 15, CENRO-Cadiz personnel along with Local Government Unit (LGU) of Escalante City had collected approximately three-hundred (300) COTs.

Meanwhile, on March 22, a simultaneous coastal clean-up along the seawall of Barangay Old Poblacion and COTs removal at the Malabagon Reef both located in Escalante City were conducted. A total of 1, 763 non-biodegradable wastes were collected and a total of ninety-eight (98) COTs were removed.

The COTs gathered which were subsequently buried to an area/site identified by LGU Escalante City.

These activities were conducted by CENRO-Cadiz personnel composed of TSPS personnel, Office of the CENR Officer (OCENRO), Sagay Marine Reserve (SMR), and assisted by Northern Negros State Collage of Science and Technology (NONESCOST) Bachelors of Science and Fisheries and Biology as the office on-the-job training (OJT), with the collaboration of LGU Escalante City and Philippine Coast Guard.

These coral predators occur naturally on the reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific region and are also visible to the waters of the other provinces including the Aklan and Antique.

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 13 April 2023