3 Davao organic resto receive PGS certification
DAVAO CITY — Three organic farm restaurants can now claim that their products are 100 percent organically grown and produce after receiving the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) organic certication. “The Davao PGS brand is a second-party certification process which is recognized by the city’s Organic Agriculture Management Committee (OAMC) and the Department of Agriculture’s Technical Committee on Organic Agriculture (TCOA). When you are certified PGS, this means that your farming process follows the established national standards on organic farming.” said PGS Inspector Alex Betarmos. Go Organic Davao City (GoDC) representative Joy Enriquez in a statement on Tuesday, August 23, said they welcome this development as “this signals a positive start for the organic food movement under the administration of Mayor Inday Sara.”
Dayanghirang’s bid to limit WMC power questioned
DAVAO CITY – A representative of a civil society organization is strongly opposing a proposal by Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang that will limit the influence of the Watershed Management Council (WMC) in implementing and drafting of environmental legislation. Civil Society Organization (CSO) representative to the WMC Chinkie Pelino told Mirror that WMC is denouncing the proposal which already passed first reading in the City Council on July 18. The move even puzzled WMC as the item was nowhere in the agenda when they attended the council session last Tuesday. Pelino said they only found out about the proposal in the records of the City Council secretariat showing the proposed measure passed first reading on July 18.
Envi group assails attempt to amend Watershed Code
ENVIRONMENT group Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) criticized the move of the city council to amend the Watershed Management Code. In a statement, IDIS executive director Mary Ann Fuertes called the proposal “anti-environment and contrary to the strategic direction of the City on sustainably managing its watersheds.” Second district Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang authored the proposal, which seeks to reduce the WMC’s role in issuing “official policies on the expansion of commercial/corporate plantations in the prime agricultural areas.”
Group wants transparency in Mega Harbour project
DAVAO CITY – Environment group Sustainable Davao City Movement (SDCM) calls for transparency in the implementation of the P39-billion Mega Harbour project. “We are asking for a broader comprehensive consultation about it, in order for us to really understand the issue, since we were not invited to the committee hearings,” said SDCM member and Interface Development Intervention, Inc. (IDIS) Executive Director Mary Ann Fuertes. The Davao Mega Harbour and Port Development Project, which was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte last month, aims to address the challenges of the community for access to potable water and power supply, well-planned road network that allows free flow of vehicular movement and pedestrian safety and access to facilities that abate calamities like flood and storm surges.
2 new categories open for 2017 Lunhaw Awards
DAVAO CITY— The annual Lunhaw Awards are now open for applicants who advocate eco-friendly activities in the city. The 2017 Lunhaw Awards will have two new categories: outstanding environmental advocates and the barangay or local government environment initiatives. Ann Fuertes, Lunhaw co-organizer and also Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (IDIS) executive director said the new categories seek to recognize environmental sustainability practices, with the aim of sharing the most creative initiatives to inspire change.
Group pushes for amendment of national water code
DAVAO CITY – Environmental group, Interface Development Interventions, Inc., has called on the presumptive President, Rodrigo Duterte to amend the national water code and give more leeway to the local government units in assessing and monitoring their water resources. IDIS also called on Duterte “to devolve the enforcement provisions in the Philippine Water Code from the National Water Regulatory Board (NWRB) to local government units.” IDIS Executive Director Ann Fuertes said local government units are more familiar with their local water resources and can immediately conduct inspections and assessments without waiting for the NWRB team from the central office.