PEPO stops watershed conversion in MP

TWO YEARS after the enforcement of a Permanent Environmental Protection (PEPO) order on the watershed at the mossy forest of Sitios Togging, Bellang and Madalipey, Dacudac, Tadian Mt. Province, forest conversion and gardening has been controlled according to a joint monitoring report.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Cordillera together with the Tadian local government added kaingin and gardening at the watershed areas have been stopped as regular forest patrolling was conducted in the area.

Forest guards of the DENR-CAR together with those from Tadian regularly monitored the status of the watershed area servicing the four sitios engaging in farm activities.

As the main water source for domestic use of the different sitios, residents are greatly affected by the denudation of the forest in the watershed area due to gardening and the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

This was the reasons the Regional Trial Court, Branch 35 in Bontoc, Mountain Province rendered the PEPO on the watershed area which provided the illegal occupants and gardeners in the area a cease and desist order from planting, tilling and cultivating their established farms and help in the reforestation efforts to restore the area.

DENR-CAR through PENRO Mountain Province and CENRO Sabangan together with the ENRO of the Province and the MENRO of Tadian were ordered to provide quarterly reports of their actions in accordance with the court’s decision.

Joel Behis, chief of the DENR-CAR Regional Office Enforcement Division said the continuous monitoring report is just but a part of the compliance with the court’s order but insisted the area should form part of the regular patrol areas of the DENR and the community.