U.S. sets up P800-M environmental conservation fund
The United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has established a five-year, P800 million ($16 million) grant facility to help civil society organizations implement biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection, natural resource management and local climate actions in the Philippines.
The environmental conservation fund will be launched through the new Investing in Sustainability and Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) project.
The project will promote natural resource conservation, and ecosystem and community resilience by supporting civil society organizations in advocating for and participating in good natural resource governance. In addition, the project will support media organizations covering key natural resource governance issues. It will help local communities better manage natural resources and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
“As advocates for better governance and partners of the public sector, civil society plays an important role in protecting the environment and addressing climate change,” Sean Callahan, USAID Philippines Acting Mission Director, said.
“Through the INSPIRE project, USAID is pleased to support the Philippines’ efforts to conserve the country’s rich biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of climate change while making sure that the environment continues to benefit many Filipinos whose incomes depend upon these natural resources,” he added.
USAID will work closely with the Philippine government and other relevant stakeholders to implement the INSPIRE project.
The US government has been a key development champion in the Philippines for six decades, working with individuals, communities and the government to improve everyday lives.
Since 2008, USAID has provided more than $157 million to support the Philippine government in conserving the country’s biodiversity and protecting its landscapes and seascapes.
going to the direction of Cagayan de oro City in neighboring Misamis oriental, the places, very pastoral, gives a sense of ‘normalcy,’ of hope amid the challenges brought upon by the coronavirus pandemic
It feels different while zipping through the highway connecting Butuan City to other northern Mindanao towns. For a city dweller, the trip brings a refreshing vibe and energy.
going to the direction of Cagayan de oro City in neighboring Misamis oriental, the places, very pastoral, gives a sense of “normalcy,” of hope amid the challenges brought upon by the coronavirus pandemic.
a number of these places along the way look more like frontier towns with old, wooden structures and clusters
of edifices bounded by vast expanses of vegetation.
nasipit, known for its international port, has an inlet with a view of the lush mangrove environment and a floating power plant.
Buenavista, the next town, is known for the halo-halo at andi’s Snackbar delight, with customers queuing as early as morning.
Carmen is easily noticeable for its theme-park-looking municipal hall building located just off the highway.
along the way, towns surrounded by rice fields, mountains, the sea and rivers, a number of which have concrete embankments of recent construction, construed by some as public works fantasies.
From a distant is the island province of Camiguin with its towering volcanic cones lording over a part of the Bohol Sea. If the weather is fine, the view of Camiguin is clear from these coastal towns which include Buenavista, Talisayan, Balinguan, Kinugitan, Salay, lagonglong, Balingasag, Jasaan, Villanueva, and Tagoloan and the cities of gingoog and Cagayan de oro.
The main road is often punctuated by stalls selling fruits cultivated in these areas including marang. Sometimes, sewn logs can be seen along the road, waiting to be picked up by trucks and processed for various purposes.
In Talisayan, apart from the seaside promenade popular among locals who stroll in the area with masks on, an eye-catching structure is the dilapidated but still beautiful american-era, gabaldon-style school which later became the office of the local chapter of the Knights of Columbus.
The building, if restored, especially now that the gabaldon school law exists, would engender pride and consciousness on heritage among the town’s residents.
Beside this building is the modern Church of our lady of Mount Carmel which still has remnants of its old self, such as the rubblework ruins of its south wall. atop the belfry of the church are two bells which could date back to the late 19th century.
In the town of Balingasag exist heritage houses which date from the Spanish to american colonial and post-war periods. Prominent is the fantastic Vega House at the corner of rizal and regalado streets, famed for its carved wooden atlases, the only one of its kind in the country.
another heritage structure in town is the brick church of Santa rita de Cascia which now sports a simple façade. It is architecturally related to the nuestra Señora de Inmaculada Concepcion Church in neighboring Jasaan as it used to have two belfries flanking the facade.
Passing through Jasaan, noticeable is its rugged coastline and the watchtower in the village of aplaya used as a defense structure during the Spanish colonial period.
Speaking of the Spanish colonial period, the other remnants of that era in the area are the “lost” big bell of Jasaan, now at the nuestra Señora de Candelaria Church in Tagoloan, the ruins of the old Jasaan in aplaya, and the brick shell and two other 19th century bells of the aforementioned church.
Cagayan de oro still has few pieces of cut coral stone at the back of its cathedral which was bombed during World War II. apart from this, other Spanish-era vestiges of the cathedral are the wooden atrial cross in front, encased now in concrete and what remains of the portions of its transept walls.
a surprise is the late 19th-century ruins of opol’s old church made from finely cut coral stone and coral rubble.
after a day of travel, culinary stopovers, and visits to sites of cultural importance, it is indeed gratifying to see the Philippines in a different perspective — from the beautiful northern coast of Mindanao.