Dabawenyo green warriors recognized in 5th Lunhaw Awards
Davao City has become a haven for green living thanks to increasing number of environmental initiatives popularized through the Lunhaw Awards, now on its fifth year. These green warriors ranged from young students, individual farmers in both rural and urban settings, to associations and commercial establishments. The City Government made Lunhaw Awards officially part of the 80th Araw ng Davao celebration. This year’s awarding ceremony and gathering of green advocates was held at the Royal Mandaya Hotel on March 17.
Interfacing Interventions Newsletter for Partners and Stakeholders
IDIS Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 2017
5th Lunhaw Awards launches Green Champion Award
DAVAO CITY – Lunhaw Awards organizers are adding new categories to its annual search for green initiatives citywide with the inclusion of the Green Champion and the Outstanding Barangay Green Initiative awards. “The Green Champion Award takes its cue from the achievements of the late Councilor Leo Avila who was a proponent of several landmark environmental ordinances in the city. This category will be open to outstanding advocates in the area of environmental policy, legislation and environmental management.”, said Lunhaw Awards co-organizer, Mary Ann Fuertes.
Officials: Eco-waste plant in city not etched in stone yet
THE CITY government clarified that nothing is final yet on the partnership inked between Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and officials of Kitakyushu, Japan. The clarification came amid speculation that the city government already had an agreement to build a plant here. The Strategic Environmental Partnership Agreement, signed at the conference hall of city hall Tuesday afternoon, is aimed at developing a joint model project in Davao making the city a “model for intercity cooperation in the Philippines.” There was no expressed agreement yet that the city would establish the waste to energy plant.
Sara slams groups over WTE criticism
“They’re barking up the wrong tree,” Mayor Sara Duterte said addressing the Integrated Development Interventions (IDIS), an environment group who criticized her over her partnership with Mayor Kenji Kitakashi of Kitakyushu, Japan for a waste management project. The mayor clarified the signing was for the technology assistance on waste management of the Kitakyushu Government to the city. “They are barking up the wrong tree because the WTE (Waste to Energy) is with the private company particularly the Nippon Steel,” Duterte told Mirror. She said the signing was for the technology assistance of the Kitakyushu government to the city of Davao.
Metal-eating plants can help restore damaged mining sites
DAVAO CITY—Environmentalists are agog with the disclosure about the presence of metal-eating plants endemic in the country, as a scientist revealed they could be harnessed to restore forests and watersheds damaged by mining operations. The environmentalist organization, Interface Development Interventions (Idis), announced the disclosure, of scientist Dr. Edwino Fernando, that there 20 plant species in the country with known metal-eating characteristics. The Idis said Fernando and his research team discovered in 2011 the Rinorea niccolifera, a nickel-eating shrub, in Zambales. The group said the recently discovered species was among the 20 species of metallophytes. “These species are called metallophytes. They can tolerate high levels of heavy metals, such as lead. Some of these will even require the presence of heavy metals in the soil in order to survive,” Fernando told the recent rainforestation capacity training organized by the Rain Forestation Restoration Initiative (RFRI) network at the Ateneo de Davao University.