Shrine Hills is Davao’s Urban Center Bird Refuge
As many as 72 species of birds have been documented in Davao City’s Shrine Hills. Twenty of these recorded birds are found only in the Philippines. The area is seen as an urban forest, a much needed green space in the urban district and hailed as the city’s last potential large-tier park based on the public parks study in Davao by New York University. Environmental groups are advocating for Shrine Hills’ continued protection and are proposing the privately-owned publicly open spaces (POPOS) concept as a win-win solution for land owners who want to develop their properties for business. “We managed an impressive 26 species on the day and the total species recorded in the Shrine Hills area now numbers 72, 20 of which are endemic,” said Pete Simpson, Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, who has been making records of birds for Jacks Ridge and other areas in Shrine Hills.
Make Shrine Hills Publicly Accessible Open Space
Davao City — Environmental groups are pushing for a win-win solution to protect Shrine Hills while providing private developers returns for their investments through the adoption of the privately-owned publicly open spaces (POPOS) concept in the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Ecoteneo and Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), NGO members of the Local Zoning Review Committee, along with Davao Shrine Hills Advocates (DSHA) and members of the Sustainable Davao Movement, have proposed amendments to the Urban Ecological Enhancement Sub-Zone provision of the city’s Zoning Ordinance. The proposal endorsed was due for plenary presentation in the City Council session last March 9 but was reverted back to the committee level with the directive to ensure attendance of Shrine Hills land developers who were no-shows during the last hearings. The committee hearing with Shrine Hills land developers has been moved to April 11, 2018 Wednesday at the SP Session Hall.
IDIS Calendar 2018
You won’t miss out on any environmental event for the year as we have marked them all on the 2018 calendar for you. This year, we feature how the Sustainable Davao Movement, which IDIS is a member of, plans to localize and ensure the achievement of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Davao City. To help make Davao City a sustainable city, find out how you can do your share by learning about the five environment themes: Jan-Feb: Zero Waste Mar-April: Green Communities May-June: Healthy watersheds July-August: Disaster-resilient Communities Sept-Oct: Renewable Energy Nov-Dec: Resilient Land Use and Organic Agriculture Download IDIS 2018 Calendar
City government to compensate volunteer forest guards
Mayor Sara Duterte vowed to provide financial compensation for the forest guard volunteers who have been in the frontlines of protecting Davao city’s watersheds. “Thank you to the Watershed Management Council for their policy work but thank you very much to those people working on the ground, our bantay bukids (forest guards) and bantayo aweg (water watcher),” said Mayor Sara in a statement sent to City Administrator Atty. Zuleika Lopez during the 5th Watershed Summit held on June 29 at the Ritz Hotel. Mayor Sara arrived soon after to personally thank the volunteers who help the City Government in the “important work of protecting the watersheds.”
Water unites Davao City’s opposing sectors
It’s rare to see environmental groups working with private, for-profit sectors especially on the issue of sustainable management of natural resources. But for water, especially in a city which houses eight watersheds and prides itself to have one of the world’s highest quality potable water, all sectors have a stake and therefore invited to the annual Davao City watershed summit. Now on its fifth year, the watershed summit aims to provide a venue for stakeholders from ridge to reef to talk things over and come up with solutions to prevailing issues on water, something of common value that unites citizens from the uplands to the urban centers.
LUNHAW AWARDS expands to youth and government sectors
Davao City’s annual awards for environmental initiatives brings the spotlight to the youth and the government sector this year, recognizing their critical role in the long-term success of environmental efforts in the city. Lunhaw Awards, now on its 6th year, has added youth category for its Green Champion Award and encouraged barangay-led and city government-led efforts for the LGU-initiatives Award. The past five years recognized individuals and organizations from the academe, private sector and CSOs.