PAGADIAN
CITY - Over 30 convicts attended an Information, Education and Communication
(IEC) campaign on Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies, National
Greening Program (NGP), and Biodiversity conducted last May 23, 2013 by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region IX at the Parole
and Probation Administration Office, Provincial Capitol Compound, Pagadian
City, Zamboanga del Sur in line with the observance of International Day of
Biological Diversity (IDB).
According
to Provincial Parole and Probation Administration (PPA) Chief Nicasio D.
Dujali, the said participants are probationers and parolees residing in 17
municipalities of Zamboangadel Sur who are now in the process of reformation
and reintegration to the mainstream of society. One of the intervention
activities undertaken by their agency is to instill awareness and concern among
probationers and parolees on how to preserve ecological balance and proper care
of the environment through lectures and seminars.
PPA is
a line agency of the Department of Justice tasked to undertake the
rehabilitation of offender after having been convicted and sentenced by the
court through community-based treatment program.
The said activity was undertaken to highlight the observance of the International Day for Biological Diversitywhich is being observed every May 22 aimed to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
Biodiversity literally means the variety and extent of differences
among living things, whether these living things are well known or yet to be
discovered and whether they range from the size of a microscopic bacterium to
the gigantic size of elephants or whales. It is important as source of food,
fuel, timber, fiber and other resources;
medicines; works as air and water
purifier; needed for pollination and
seed dispersal, plays a role for
economic, social/cultural value;
functions as drought, erosion and flood control, among others.
It was
initially celebrated on December 29 when it was first created by the Second
Committee of the United Nation (UN) General Assembly in 1992. In 2000, the UN General Assembly adopted May
22 as IDB to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on May 22,
1992. This year’s theme “Water and
Biodiversity” supports the UN designation of 2013 as the International Year
of Water Cooperation. The annual
celebration of IDB draws global attention to the problem of water supply that
many countries of the world are experiencing and many others are bound to
experience in the future. It underscores
the imperative for global effort to immediately address the issues to ensure sustainable
water security for the current and future generations.
In her
message during the program, Region IX PPA InchargeTarcisia A.Tamposcommended
her people for requesting DENR personnel to conduct the said forum. “May this
kind of activity be continually given to the clients who really need important
information and facts regarding Mother Earth and how to restore its natural
resources,” she said.
“This
collaboration with DENR is worthy of commendation and I thank our guests for
taking time to educate our clients because it is only in this kind of gathering
that we can help instill awareness and
consciousness among our people”, Tampos
further said. She finally urged
the participants to share with their family members and neighbors the knowledge
they will gain from the campaign.
In his commitment
of support for Earth Care, Mr. Dujali expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the
men and women from DENR who delivered the said information to their clients
educating them on how to restore the Earth’s natural system which is really the
call of time. “Rest assured of our
constant support in this humanitarian endeavor by planting and growing trees
and doing other related activities for the present and future generations” he
said. Furthermore, he is looking forward of involving their clients to the NGP,
a government’s priority program being implemented by DENR which aims to plant
and grow 1.5 billion seedlings to reforest
1.5 million hectares of denuded forestland from 2011-2016.(HAA/DENR
IX PR)
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