Climate Change/Environment

A female Hawksbill Sea Turtle that was rescued in Maasim, Sarangani Province finally returned to its natural habitat after four months of rehabilitation. It was released at the coastal waters of Barangay Ladol in Alabel town led by DENR Sarangani PENR Officer Maria Elvira V. Lumayag together with Board Member Corazon S. Grafilo, SBPS in-house veterinarian Dr. Roy O. Mejorada and other DENR-12 personnel during the celebration of International Coastal Cleanup this morning.

KORONADAL CITY  – A critically endangered Philippine eagle was found dead Monday morning along the coastline of Maasim town in Sarangani, officials said.

Forester Abdul D. Cariga, DENR Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) of Kiamba, Sarangani, said municipal government employee found the lifeless endangered big bird along the shoreline of Barnagay Daliao at 9 a.m.

He immediately alerted Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer of of Maasim and adjacent CENRO Kiamba office that sent quick response team (QRT) for appropriate action.

KIDAPAWAN CITY - May kabuuang 2,336 na pirasong Red at White Lauan lumber sakay ng dalawang sasakyan ang naharang ng DENR Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) ng Matalam sa pamamagitan ng Monitoring and Enforcement Section nitong Huwebes, Setyembre 8 sa Methodist Checkpoint, National Highway, Kidapawan City.

Ang Kidapawan PNP at 39IB Philippine Army Taskforce ng Kidapawan ang nagma-man sa checkpoint nang maharang ang dalawang (2) sasakyang may kargang mga undocumented forest items.

MATALAM, North Cotabato - Abot sa 1,300 hard wood seedlings ang naitanim ng COTELCO bilang pakikisa sa simultaneous "Tree Planting" na kabilang sa Highlight activities ng National Electrification Administration Month (NEAM) ngayong Agosto.

Sinimulan ang aktibida sa isang maikling programa sa pangunguna ni GM Engr. Godofredo B. Homez, bago ang sabay-sabay na pagtatanim sa 'COTELCO Conservation Park' sa HQ compund, Manubuan, Matalam.

COTABATO CITY – Maguindanao’s provincial board placed the entire province under a state of calamity on Wednesday due to floods that submerged 105 villages in at least 13 municipalities.

Maguindanao Vice Governor Bai Ainee Sinsuat said the declaration was recommended by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDDRMO).

Sinsuat said the floods have affected 105 barangays out of Maguindanao’s 508 villages and displaced 46,922 families or 234,610 individuals in 36 towns.

KORONADAL CITY - Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo of the National Police Commission wants more “environmentalists” in the Philippine National Police to help push the government’s environment-protection efforts forward.

Radio reports Monday said Leonardo shared his wish to participants to a multi-sector mangrove planting activity in Maasim town in Sarangani last July 29.

A report from the Sarangani provincial government’s information office also quoted Leonardo as saying that what he wants are more of “makakalikasan” cops in the ranks of the PNP.

KORONADAL CITY – At least 100 families were evacuated to safer grounds when a flash floods caused by a heavy downpour submerged five exterior barangays in this city on Wednesday evening.

Cyrus Urbano, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said Thursday many of the evacuees came from the hardest hit barangay Cacub that experienced a life-threatening flood.

“In Cacub, 55  flash flood affected families are now temporarily staying in their barangay gymnasium. Crops and infrastructures were also destroyed,” Urbano said.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – An official of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS) in Sarangani province warned Friday of an impending outbreak of the Crown of Thorns (COTS) starfish in the waters of Glan town.

“If not immediately controlled, it would most likely affect the livelihood of fishermen in the area,” Cirilo Lagnason Jr., SBPS deputy protected area superintendent, said in an interview.

The coastal town of Glan in the southern part of the province is still reeling from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

KIDAPAWAN CITY - DAhil sa halos kalahating araw na pag-ulan sa North Cotabato, nakaranas ng pagbaha ang ilang bayan, kabilang na ang Magpet at Makilala.

Kasalukuyan pang ginagawa ng Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO-Cotabato) ang assessment sa mga lugar at mamamayang apektado ng pagbaha.

May mga ilog na umapaw at binaha ang mga low lying communities sa gilid nito.

KORONADAL CITY - A Catholic bishop in South Cotabato welcomed Friday the governor’s decision to veto a measure allowing open-pit mining in the province, but called on the public to remain vigilant.

Bishop Cerilo Casicas of the Marbel diocese said there is reason to celebrate but they aren’t letting their guards down.

“We remain vigilant until the present threat to amend the lifting of the open-pit mining ban is completely done,” Casicas said in a press conference.