Preventing forest fires through barangay-based systems

Aguid, Sagada

March is National Fire Prevention Month.  Must be that March is a time when mountain fires are at their alarming occurrence that its fire prevention month. March is also now a time when El Nino with its dry spell is at its most threatening. Water is getting scarcer. And with these twin disasters going on, prevention is a need.     

Weather is hot and pine needles are crackling much ready to get burned at the slightest threat of a match stick or a smoking cigarette.

In Mountain Province, hectares and hectares of mountain sites were already burned in Sagada, Bauko, Tadian and Bontoc to add to fires in Itogon.

More than 140,000 hectares of forest in different locations in the Cordillera have been burned the past three months.

Trees got burned, Plants scorched. And so with insects and animals not fast enough to run, they died. Water tubes got burned. Water source is threatened. People died too as noted in mountain fires at Itogon and Tadian.  Houses located in mountainous areas are threatened of getting burned. Biodiversity is threatened. Mountains look brown, scorched black and dead.

In 2016 only, the Bureau of Fire Protection-Cordillera region recorded 178 forest fire incidents that damaged some 6,100 hectares of forest reservations. This meant the destruction of bio diversity and the loss of water. What more in the present.

Watersheds cradle the very source of water. Mountains are sources of livelihood, of fuel, of food. Mountains fan fresh breeze to a community. Mountains make life bearable.  

Mountains hold water and slowly emit these for drinking water, for domestic water. Mountains hold the springs, the location of water falls.

Mountains are sources of livelihood. Mountains are the very site for trekking and tourism. Forests are sources of rattan and trees for furniture and cottage industries. Mountains are sourced for timber for fuel for housing and rituals.Coffee trees too are found in mountains.

There is a need to prevent the occurrence of mountain fires through the establishment of barangay-based anti-fire brigades.  

Barangay-based systems are necessary with the support of local government and government agencies which have the resources. Backed with the involvement of people with their individual participation, sectoral based organizations and the local government in the community it’s very possible to prevent mountain fires,

Forest fires can be prevented in the making of fire breaks, clearing of mountains some months before February hits the year. And to include advocacy through education in formal and informal venues. It is also very necessary that municipalities and barangays most especially have their own ordinances in the prevention of forest fires and the nurture of the mountains.       

Involved people, availability of resources, advocacy, and a system is necessary.

Resources means availability of digging and cleaning tools to make fire breaks, Bantay Gubat rangers are employed. Anti-fire gears are available including fire trucks.  To include resources in the conduct of advocacy on the protection and nurture of mountains  in schools, sectoral organizations, churches, government institutions,barangays with the support of the media. 

Where the cultural practice of people in going out to put out forest fires is not present anymore due to already complicated reasons, the attitude to nurture mountains needs to be regained in each and every person in the community.

    

Tadian’s 11th Ayyoweng festival and supporting livelihood and talents

This year’s  11^th Ayyoweng di Lambak ed Tadian shall be held March 1 – 4  with theme, “Agyud ay kaugalian, Pegnad di kataguwan ay sumyaan” ( Cultural values: strong foundation of good living towards progress).

           For one, cultural practises on sustainable farming is a foundation of good harvest of agricultural products that need to be sustained and supported. With Republic Act 10068,  this need to be fully implemented to intensify the promotion and development of organic agriculture.

           Among Tadian’s major agricultural products include its heirloom rice and muscovado that need the sustainable application of  organic farming for end products to be realized continuously. Production of heirloom rice into by products such as pop rice, sweet cakes to packaging are challenges that can make the one town one product of Tadian be put to the best of marketing.

           Ayyoweng refers to indigenous melodies like chants and sounds produced from local musical instruments. True to the celebration of its Ayyoweng  festival, Tadian  has been known to produce musicians and theater artists one of whom is Deacon Ventura Betot who directed and produced the popular theater production Tudo id Bagilota among other productions. We need to support the music and theater art talents of our very own people.

(photo credits from Facebook account, Ayyoweng di Lambak ed Tadian)  

Ubaya festival in Besao and supporting livelihood

We shall now be celebrating the 115th Founding Anniversary and 11th Ubaya Festival in Besao  from February 28- March 4, 2019 with theme, “Nan naiposgan ay kaugaliyan di i-Besao, tawid ya gameng ay aawiten olay intoy omayen"  Besao Culture: our birthright and guide wherever we reside).

Ubaya means rest from a day’s work in the fields as traditionally practiced. It is also rest day from work that we do every day whether it is in the rice fields, tending to animals raised in the farm or in our respective offices in government or private offices.

Rest from a day’s work in tending to muscovado-making for one.  Muscovado is one of the major products of Besao aside from bananas, avocados and rice. Production of muscovado starts from the planting of sugarcane to its harvest to making of that fine, brown colored powdery muscovado.

Harvesting sugarcane is already a feat by itself having to carry sugarcane from its location to the place where the “dapilan” (sugar cane juicer). Farm to market roads are necessary to make access easier and time saving to use time for other work. ‘Dapilan’  (sugarcane juicer) is an important need.

Some sugar cane raisers use the carabao as a heavy animal with some boards attached to its body and an iron rod attached to the boards.The movement of the carabao in a circular motion squeezes the juice out from the sugar cane into a waiting container. 

Now, we have the fabricated “dapilan’.  Supporting sugar cane raisers would mean the provision of fabricated sugarcane juicers to do the job of the carabao which is best off to plow the field.

Another concern in muscovado making is to use less firewood. There must be a better technology to do this.

Processing products of our farmers is a strong and immediate need to make production less laborious and out to good use the many products which could be manufactured into other products and economically help the farmer and the community. 

(photo credits to Anne Tauli and Sarah Cadiogan)

Awards

Jupiter 'Jup' Dominguez consistently reaped awards on  behalf of his hometown Sabangan where he served as mayor from 2000 to 2007. From here  he wants to serve a wider sphere of governance and through his good leadership do service for  the people of Mountain Province.  

From the Office of Senator Aquilino Pimentel on behalf of the National Selection Committee for the Local Government Leadership Award, November 2006:

‘The National Selection Committee took note of your leadership and performance as manifested in your leadership that genuinely embodies transparency in public service; for exceptionally demonstrating that excellence can be achieved amidst scarcity and for being a vial investment in the preservation of the rich culture of the Applai and Kankaneyindigenous people.

The enabling environment laid down by the 1991 Local Government Code looks at local government as innovators and responsible partners for envelopment. This raises the bar ofexpected performance among our local government executiveswho need to perform exceedingly well-efficiently, responsively and accountably. Your selection shows that there is no dearth ofcapable local leaders who will rise up to the opportunity and meet the challenges of decentralized governance.’

For pro- active commitment in supporting the 11^th Regional Skills Competition geared on promoting a highly qualified and productive middle level manpower. From the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) -Cordillera Administrative Region with the Cordillera Skills Foundation Inc- CAR. 

For initiating the barangay clean and green program competition of Sabangan municipality, worthy of emulation by other offices and different communities. Issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), June 2006.

For full support to the DILG Mountain Province Team evidenced by exemplary leadership in compliance to DILG programs and policy issuances to sports development and environmental management. Awarded by the Dept of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Mountain Province, 2006.

For full support to DILG- MP Team in successfully promoting the Building Safe Communities Program, consistently holding of Barangay Search for the Cleanest and Greenest Barangay under the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran ,regular conduct of various sports activities, advocating the Gender and DevelopmentProgram. Awarded by the DILG-Cordillera Administrative Region, March 2004.

To the municipality of Sabangan for its program entry on community development submitted to the Gawad Galing Pook 2002

As Outstanding Public Official awarded by Provincial Local Government Unit (LGU) of Mountain Province, April 2006. 

As Most Outstanding Municipality of Mountain Province for 2004. Awarded by the Provincial Local Government Unit (PLGU) , April 2004

For having completed the Anti Graft and Corruption Prevention seminar. Issued by the Council for the Restoration of Filipino Values(CRFV) and the Ombudsman-Corruption Prevention Unit, 2003.

‘In recognition of unselfish contribution to the ideals of the Igorot. The awardee’s significant accomplishments are a source of pride and inspiration to the people of Mountain Province’. Awarded by the Provincial Government Unit of Mountain Province, April 2007.

For strong partnership evidenced by exemplary partnership successfully completing DILG programs. Awarded by DILG Provincial Office, Bontoc , 2006

Parables and paradox in devolution

by Alecks P. Pabico

http://pcij.org/stories/parables-and-paradox-in-devolution/

THEY MAY not seem to have anything in common, but there is something that the first-class province of Negros Oriental, the second-class city of Surigao in Surigao del Norte, and the fifth-class municipality of Sabangan in Mt. Province share: all three are held up as exemplars of excellence in local governance, thanks to the stewardship of their respective local chief executives.

For 2006, the Local Government Leadership Awards (LGLA) has named George Arnaiz, three-term governor of Negros Oriental; Alfonso Casurra, two-term Surigao City mayor; and Jupiter Dominguez, two-term mayor of Sabangan as most outstanding governor, city mayor, and municipal mayor, respectively. The three lead 12 other governors, city and municipal mayors who have been cited for their achievements as local chief executives the past year.


Indeed, for all the bad news one hears most of the time about local politicos, Governor Arnaiz and Mayors Casurra and Dominguez are only recent additions to the growing number of local leaders bred in the decentralized era ushered by the enactment of the Local Government Code. Today no longer is excellent local leadership wanting in paragons, unlike in the past, when one was sure not to run out of fingers counting the likes of a Jesse Robredo, who transformed backward Naga City into one of the most vibrant and dynamic cities in the country today. Or a Bayani Fernando, whose strong, if not authoritarian, leadership style made Marikina a symbol of cutting-edge local governance and entrepreneurial dynamism.  http://pcij.org/stories/parables-and-paradox-in-devolution/