DENR-IX CONDUCTS FOREST FIRE MANAGEMENT TRAINING

PAGADIAN CITY - Fire is said to be both friend and foe but for forestland managers it is considered as the number one destructive element in the destruction of forests resulting in enormous economic losses because of destroyed timber, burnt houses, high costs of fire suppression, damage to the environment, and loss of life and livelihood.

Thus, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through the Forest Management Services (FMS), Region IX, recently conducted a three-day Training of on Forest Fire Management for Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) areas with National Greening Program Projects (NGP) within Zamboanga Peninsula in two batches namely in Polanco, Zamboanga del Norte and at Farmers Haven Hall, Dao, Pagadian City respectively and was attended by selected CBFM Coordinators, Peoples Organization Officers, DENR IX NGP focal persons and FMS personnel region wide.

FMS Regional Technical Director Ali M. Bari said that the general objective of the said training was to create and organize a pool of skilled persons coming from the DENR and different CBFM areas with NGP projects within Zamboanga Peninsula and equip them with practical knowledge, skills and attitude on forest fire prevention, use and control of fire and to give information on fire occurrence, behavior and effect.

Director Bari explained that as forestland managers, CBFM players (Pos/IPOs) are given primary responsibility to manage and protect portions of forestlands and benefit from the natural resources therein. With the inception of the National Greening Program which revolves on the planting and developing of tree plantations in their area, there is really a need for them to be equipped on the knowledge and skills to combat or prevent forest/plantation fires especially in NGP sites.

Hence, DENR is providing support through enabling mechanism in the form of a capability enhancement program to organize a regionwide forest firefighting crew, he added.

Earlier, the office had purchased and supplied firefighting equipment to its field personnel to enhance their chances in dealing with any occurrence of forest/plantation fires in their locality. (R. Tan, DENR-RPAO IX News Release)