Baras Youth for Our Forests

[Repost from UMWC]

It is disappointing to see local Congressmen use taxpayer money and government resources to undermine and assail a legitimate conservation project. Why do they not exert the same effort and resources into cracking down illegal instruments, land grabbers, and environmental offenders in the Upper Marikina Watershed?

ONCE AGAIN, we reiterate our statement released last January 30, 2023: We warn against political witch hunts and delaying tactics that aim to coerce environment defenders into giving up, as is being done to Masungi Georeserve and the Upper Marikina Watershed defenders. It is deeply concerning and unacceptable for political threats and undue pressures to be used in an attempt to shut down successful and genuine environmental efforts and silence environment defenders. Dino Tanjuatco Office of Congressman Jack Duavit Congressman Jojo Garcia

https://www.facebook.com/uppermarikinawatershedcoalition/photos/pcb.578304894347478/578304614347506/

It is disappointing to see local Congressmen use taxpayer money and government resources to undermine and assail a legitimate conservation project. Why do they not exert the same effort and resources into cracking down illegal instruments, land grabbers, and environmental offenders in the Upper Marikina Watershed?

ONCE AGAIN, we reiterate our statement released last January 30, 2023: We warn against political witch hunts and delaying tactics that aim to coerce environment defenders into giving up, as is being done to Masungi Georeserve and the Upper Marikina Watershed defenders. It is deeply concerning and unacceptable for political threats and undue pressures to be used in an attempt to shut down successful and genuine environmental efforts and silence environment defenders. Dino Tanjuatco Office of Congressman Jack Duavit Congressman Jojo Garcia

https://www.facebook.com/uppermarikinawatershedcoalition/photos/pcb.578304894347478/578304614347506/

𝗖𝗢𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧, 𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗥 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗣 𝗕𝗨𝗖𝗢𝗥 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗚𝗜 | 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟬𝟮, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯

We, the undersigned members and partners of the Upper Marikina Watershed Coalition, fully support the Masungi Georeserve in its efforts to protect and preserve the conservation area from any form of development that may harm its natural resources and biodiversity. We strongly oppose the plans of the Bureau of Corrections to build its facilities in Masungi, as this would threaten the delicate balance of the ecosystem and compromise the integrity of the entire area.

We recognize the need for the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to address the overcrowding in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and provide adequate facilities for the rehabilitation and reformation of inmates. However, we express our concern over the plan to take over the Masungi Georeserve, which is an important karst landscape crucial to the conservation of the Upper Marikina Watershed.

While we understand the challenges faced by BuCor in finding suitable sites for their facilities, we firmly believe that this should not come at the expense of the environment—the flora and fauna that have come back and flourished after more than 25 years of rehabilitation by Masungi.

A critical part of the Upper Marikina Watershed and other protected areas, Masungi Georeserve also plays a crucial role in regulating the water flow in the region and reducing the risk of flooding and landslides. These ecosystem services are essential in maintaining the ecological balance and sustaining the well-being of the surrounding communities.

The construction of initially described facilities within the area can increase the risk of destabilizing the terrain—already a geohazard zone, resulting in environmental degradation and potential harm to human lives and property in downstream cities. According to a technical report from the National Museum of the Philippines, “permission of any vigorous anthropological activities may become a triggering event for sinkhole collapse” and “over-extraction of groundwater resources, even outside of Masungi Georeserve, may also trigger collapse.”

We encourage the Bureau of Corrections to reconsider its plans and to explore alternative locations for its facilities without compromising the ecological integrity and safety of the Masungi Georeserve in the Upper Marikina Watershed. We urge President BongBong Marcos and DENR Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga to step in to protect Masungi.

This issue highlights the need for our government to prioritize the preservation of our natural resources and to support the efforts of organizations like Masungi Georeserve and its partners. We stand in solidarity with Masungi and all other environmental defenders who work tirelessly for the conservation and protection of critical ecological areas, recognizing their value in addressing climate change and building sustainable communities. # # #

___________

1 Technical Report: Discussion on the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization and Management of the Masungi Georeserve in the Context of Geology, Botany, and Zoology. National Museum of the Philippines. 11 April 2022.

“In a statement Monday, the Upper Marikina Watershed Coalition said it requested copies of the orders revoking the mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs) that were granted to quarry operators.

According to the coalition, the DENR's Mines and Geosciences Bureau said the cancellations, although already recommended, have yet to be signed by Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga.

The coalition likewise urged Loyzaga to hold a direct dialogue with the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, Inc. (MGFI), a member of the coalition, to settle "mutual concerns" on its joint reforestation project.

In 2017, the foundation and former DENR chief Gina Lopez reached an agreement to restore nearly 2,700 hectares of degraded forest land around the Masungi Georeserve and solve gaps in ending deforestation.

"The urgency of safeguarding Masungi Georeserve and the Masungi Geopark Project cannot be understated," the coalition said. "Their internationally recognized work has stopped further severe, irreversible damage and threats to the people, land, and biodiversity of the protected area - all of which have been painstakingly recovered and protected through many sacrifices of its people in the past twenty years."

The House of Representatives will hold an inquiry into the alleged unauthorized and unlawful activities at the Masungi Georeserve on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

The groups also called on lawmakers to "look into the real illegal and destructive interests in the area, instead of finding justification to shut down a valuable and ecologically important conservation project for the benefit of a select few."

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/1/31/Environment-groups-DENR-chief-upper-marikina-watershed.html?fb&fbclid=IwAR3tqpZSkQzfEQdxJT2ElVgms8gusvOJup3i-5y1KIZnuo8AlyKdbO6xqu4

Groups urge DENR chief to finalize cancellation of quarry permits in Upper Marikina watershed Environmental groups call on DENR Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga to settle concerns about the cancellation of quarry permits, as well as their agreement to restore and protect parts of the Upper Marikina watershed.

UPDATED

20 ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CALL ON THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) SEC YULO-LOYZAGA TO RELEASE CANCELLATION ORDERS OF QUARRYING AGREEMENTS IN MASUNGI, AND TO SAFEGUARD THE MASUNGI GEOPARK PROJECT

APPLY NOW: We are proud to announce a new program in partnership the Government of Canada to enable 15 young leaders aged 18-35 in Rizal to take part in a whole-day curated training on watershed conservation on February 19, 2022. 📩

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN UNTIL FEBRUARY 2, 2022 on bit.ly/WatershedDefenders 💧

Embassy of Canada in the Philippines

Stand with rangers this World Ranger Day and call for their protection by using this profile frame!

Try it by visiting this link: https://bit.ly/protectourrangers

𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗦 𝗔𝗬 𝗕𝗨𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗨𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗨𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔 𝗦𝗔 𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗦𝗬𝗢𝗡 𝗨𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗠𝗔𝗞𝗔𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗔 𝗔𝗡𝗚 𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗥𝗥𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝗔 𝗨𝗣𝗣𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗔 𝗪𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗗!

Sa gitna ng malakas na buhos ng ulan, ang ilan sa mga kasapi ng Upper Marikina Watershed Coalition ay nagtungo sa DENR, Kongreso, at Opisina ng Pangulo upang pormal na isumite ang petisyon ng koalisyon na kinabibilangan ng 80+ na mga grupo at organisasyong nangangalaga sa kalikasan. Sila ay humihiling kay Pangulong Duterte na maging malaya sa anomang uri ng quarrying ang Upper Marikina Watershed.

Ang hiling na ito ay karapat-dapat mapabilang sa SONA o State of the Nation Address ng Pangulo sa susunod na linggo na kung saan ay isasaad ang natitirang mga prayoridad ni Pangulong Duterte bago siya bumaba pagkatapos ng Mayo 2022 at ng pambansang halalan.

Ang aming panawagan: Unahin ang proteksyon ng Upper Marikina Watershed at ang buhay ng 20 milyong mga Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng pagkansela ng mga permit sa pagmimina at quarrying sa loob ng mga protektadong lugar.

Nasa panganib ang buhay natin! Huwag nating hayaang mangyari ang isa pang Ondoy o Ulysses!

Bahagi ng Upper Marikina Watershed ang Baras. Banggandang kahayupan at kahalamanan yan oh!

Buong pusong sumusuporta ang BYFF sa mga adbokasiya at adhikain ng Masungi at iba pang NGO na gustong protektahan ang buong Upper Marikina Watershed!

Close encounter with bats? Here's an updated guidelines from IUCN

Happy Caves and Karst Day!

Alam naman natin na ang ilang mga kabundukan sa ating lalawigan ay binubuo ng mga "karst" o mga anyong lupa na binubuo ng mga bato katulad ng dolomite, limestone, gypsum, atbp. Ito ay may mahalagang gampanin sa pagpapanatili ng mga natural na kagubatan, lalong lalo na sa mga anyo ng katubigan na tampok sa Baras.

Ating pangalagaan ang mga kabundukan at kagubatan sa Baras upang mas maparami pa ang mga namamahay na iba't-ibang uri ng sanlaksambuhay!

Khao Sok National Park located in Thailand, the newest addition to the roster of ASEAN Heritage Parks, is one of the many magnificent areas in the region that possesses amazing karst landscape and cave networks.

Caves and Karst Day is a celebration nature’s magnificent sculptures. Aside from the beauty of the fascinating rock formations found in these areas, cave and karst ecosystems diverse serve key biological, archaeological, palaeontological, historic, recreational, scientific, and educational values.

Let us protect these wonderful and majestic caves and all the species that’s thriving in it.



อุทยานแห่งชาติเขาสก - Khao Sok National Park

Ating suportahan ang Masungi at sa kanilang mga adbokasiya!

Today we celebrate the but the recent happenings in the Upper Marikina Watershed continue to put natural ecosystems in jeopardy!

𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗜𝗦 𝗔𝗖𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦?

Under the Presidential Proclamation No. 296 issued in 2001, the Marikina Watershed Reservation has declared a PROTECTED AREA and was renamed the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL), and yet there are still illegal occupants in the said area.

To add, aside from the landgrabbers, the 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗦 that have been developed in the watershed, with swimming pools and other structures that appear to be lodging facilities, are also players in the destruction of patches of forest within the watershed. The establishments continued expanding in the deeper portions of the forest during the peak of the pandemic, despite the fact that they supposedly do not have licenses.

𝗦𝗢, 𝗪𝗛𝗢 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗘?

Today is World Environment Day!

This is our chance to restore the planet. We can't go back in time where various issues hit us! We can, however, plant trees, green our cities, rewild our gardens, alter our diets, and clean up our rivers and coastlines, and do whatever initiative that can help the planet heal.

We are the generation that will be able to live in harmony with the environment. Let's get moving instead of worrying. Let's not be afraid to take risks.

Visit https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/ for more details.

We will definitely join the !!!!

Hear the voices of different stakeholder representatives, Reynard, John Leo, Albert, and more!

See you on Wednesday, 10 AM! Register now via bit.ly/umwclaunch!

Join us tomorrow for the March Session on "Measuring the ecological and economic effectiveness of restoration from baseline biodiversity data" by Judy Fisher PhD, Ethical, Independent Socio-Ecologist, Director, Fisher Research Pty Ltd, Elected Member IPBES Multidisciplinary Expert Panel, Adjunct Associate Professor Institute of Agriculture Universityway, IUCN, Commission on Ecosystem Management Theme Leader: Ecosystems and Invasive Species, Research Associate Western Australian Museum

👉You can register once for all recurring monthly sessions here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lGe_95wARj-C8YmmfDa73A

🎥 Recordings of each session are available within a week on the Series YouTube Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy4Yp_6qh0uEz_oq53_UhEDLHUZNPljRU

🔴Previous session videos and presentations can also be found on the Webinar Series webpage: https://www.iucn.org/commissions/commission-ecosystem-management/resources/webinars

Why ‘big threats’ don’t faze Dumaliang sisters in saving Masungi For sisters and eco-warriors Ann and Billie Dumaliang, their home during the year-long lockdown has been the Masungi Georeserve.

Today is International Day of Forests!

In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 21st as International Day of Forests (IDF). The Day honors and raises awareness about the value of all kinds of forests. On each International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to coordinate events involving forests and trees at the local, national, and international levels, such as tree growing and nurturing campaigns!

The theme for this year's IDF is "Forest Restoration: A path to recovery and well-being."

Today is World Wildlife Day!

This year, World Wildlife Day will be held under the theme "Forests and Livelihoods: Sustaining People and Earth,"

This is to highlight the critical role of forests, forest species, and ecosystem services in sustaining the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people around the world, especially Indigenous and local communities with historical links to forested and forest-adjacent areas.

World Wildlife Day will honor forest-based livelihoods and encourage forest and forest wildlife management models and activities that recognize human well-being as well as the long-term protection of trees, forest-dwelling species of wild fauna and flora, and the habitats they support, as well as the importance of indigenous and traditional practices!

Source: https://www.wildlifeday.org/

March 3, 2021
WORLD WILDLIFE DAY STATEMENT

On World Wildlife Day, we the undersigned concerned groups respectfully call on President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to urgently rescind all existing Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSAs) inside the 26,126-hectare Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL) and nearby protected areas.

This is pursuant to the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 prohibiting mineral exploration or extraction within protected areas, among other official policies, and the president’s 2016 campaign promise for reforms towards more responsible development and extractive industries.

According to available information, there are at least six (6) MPSAs existing or overlapping with the UMRBPL, covering about 1,500 hectares of protected forest land. An additional estimated 658 hectares appear to be under MPSAs in adjacent protected and conserved areas. Even if some of these MPSAs are not yet operational, they are a clear and present threat to the integrity of the watershed and all life within it.

Quarrying will permanently destroy sensitive habitats of threatened flora and fauna, like Narra, Red and White Lauan, Kamagong, Molave trees; birds like Philippine Hawk-Eagle and jungle fowl; mammals like Philippine Deer, Philippine Warty Pig, Philippine Monkey, and Northern Luzon Cloud Rat, among many others. It will also worsen the perennial, devastating, costly, and life-threatening floods experienced by local governments, businesses, and ordinary citizens of Metro Manila, Rizal, and nearby areas.

The urgency to rescind all MPSAs and stop other destructive activities cannot be undermined as shown by the havoc brought by Typhoon Ulysses which submerged more than 30,000 houses and displaced more than 200,000 fellow Filipinos (NDRRMC).

Some government offices have argued that even without quarrying in the Upper Marikina Watershed, flooding, erosion, and siltation will still occur. While these are indeed natural processes, it is by protecting and restoring designated protected areas that we are able to mitigate their increasingly adverse effects.

Protected areas are also off-limits to extractive industries not just to help reduce the risk of flooding and other forms of disasters, but to conserve precious wildlife and habitats and preserve ecosystem services such as clean and healthy soil, water, and air. Protecting the UMRBPL is also an important part of climate adaptation, being our only natural defense against extreme weather events, and climate mitigation, being a natural carbon sink.

Heeding the call of science, the law, and their constituents, local chief executives like Rizal Governor Rebecca Ynares have called for the immediate cessation of large-scale mining agreements. Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro has also underscored the need to rehabilitate Upper Marikina Watershed. The Senate Committee on Environment and various legislators have likewise sought to investigate the different causes of flooding in pursuit of long-term solutions such as reforestation and smart infrastructure.

With less than 500 days left before the end of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s term in office, there is no better time than now to leave a lasting legacy for Filipinos.

We urge President Duterte to rescind the MPSAs found inside this critical watershed and nearby protected and conserved areas now. The Filipino people will be behind him.

On 2020’s World Wildlife Day, Secretary Roy A. Cimatu already started this campaign by announcing that mining agreements found inside the UMRBPL and the Masungi Wildlife Sanctuary shall be canceled. If accomplished, this is a legacy that will surely be remembered by generations to come.

# # #

Contact the Upper Marikina Watershed Coalition (UMWC) Secretariat: [email protected]

DID YOU KNOW that the logos of BYFF and BYEA have meanings behind their elements? So make sure to tune in on our page and watch out for future posts that will talk more about the messages behind them!

Before anything else, we would like to express our immense gratitude to our talented multimedia volunteer, Bea, isa sa mga 'kaibigan ng kabundukan'! She is a 3rd year Multimedia Arts student from De La Salle - College of St. Benilde, and one of the pioneer volunteers for our initiative. She is the brilliant and artistic mind behind our organization's overall branding, and the one who turned our vision into reality by encapsulating it into beautiful logos. ✨

Kahit mga maliliit na bagay, tayo ay may magagawa! Ikaw? Gusto mo bang makatulong sa pagpapaunlad ng organisasyon pati na rin sa pagsasalba sa ating kalikasan? 🏞

Halina't sumali na! Baka ikaw na ang hinahanap namin! 🌱

Mga kabataan ng Baras, huwag kalilimutang mag-sign up sa ating form para sa Baras Youth Environment Ambassadors!

Sa BYFF, katuwang natin ang kabataan sa panunumbalik ng ating kalikasan! 🌳

Banggandang Baras!

As we celebrate the centennial anniversary celebration of our hometown, the Municipality of Baras, BYFF is launching BYEA, or Baras Youth Environment Ambassadors!

It is the flagship program of BYFF. We will determine youth environment ambassadors in each Barangay of Baras and equip them with experiences and knowledge in the aspect of environmental leadership and help them increase and develop their awareness and action in the field.

Banggandang Baras!

We are now calling our Baras youth to apply for Baras Youth Environment Ambassador!

We will determine potential youth environment ambassadors in each Barangay of Baras and equip them with experiences and knowledge in the aspect of environmental leadership and help them increase and develop their awareness and action in the field.

The selected ambassadors will undergo series of training and workshops online, offline, or hybrid!

To apply:

• Submit a letter of intent
• Answer the Google Form using the link: bit.ly/BarasYouthEnvironmentAmbassadors
• Submit a 1-2 minute video introducing
yourself and answer this question:
"Bakit gusto mong maging Ambassador
para sa kalikasan?"

Send all the documents needed to [email protected] on or before February 6, 2020