Stop flying party balloons, DENR-Calabarzon appeals to public
Stop flying party balloons, DENR-Calabarzon appeals to public
By Saul Pa-a January 5, 2019, 11:29 am
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna -- A top official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 4A (Calabarzon) on Friday appealed to local government units (LGUs) and the public to refrain from flying balloons on special occasions.
“Sa rehiyon ng Calabarzon, nais naming hikayatin ang mga Pamahalaang Lokal na ituring na littering ang pagpapakawala ng lobo dahil doon na rin naman ito patutungo (In the Calabarzon region, we are appealing to the local governments to consider the release of balloons into the air as littering as it would end up this way, anyway),” DENR-4A Executive Director, lawyer Maria Paz G. Luna, said.
Luna told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) that they already ordered funeral homes and other party or event organizers to stop releasing balloons into the air.
“Maaari po kaming mag-file ng kaso ng paglabag sa RA 9003 (We could file a case for violation of Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000),” she warned.
Flying balloons has become a practice for many Filipino families during funeral rites, believing that these contain their messages of love to the departed.
Luna, however, said this does not mean that the balloons would reach the skies.
“Hindi kaya't ang ibig sabihin noon ay sa purgatoryo ninyo ipinadala ang mensahe? Siguraduhin pong aabot ang mensahe sa mahal sa buhay at hindi sa purgatoryo. (But could this mean that the messages had been sent instead to purgatory? So, make sure the message would really reach your loved ones and not end up in purgatory),” she said.
The move came after the Cove Manila Balloon Drop at the Okada Hotel Manila, an event that would release some 130,000 balloons to usher in the New Year, drew flak from netizens.
The DENR earlier ordered Okada to cancel the event.
In observance of the National Zero Waste Month this January, the department has been promoting environment awareness and action among the citizenry and institutionalizing public participation in the development of national and local integrated, comprehensive and ecological waste management programs.
Luna also advised the public to send their complaints on littering - from releasing balloons to illegal garbage disposal - to DENR-4A through text +639456215007 or +639083340224; or email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or post the photo/message of such violations through https://www.facebook.com/DENR4AOfficial/#ZeroWaste or hashtags #DENRCalabarzon and #TayoAngKalikasan. (PNA)
DENR Calabarzon, on alert for Ompong
DENR Calabarzon, on alert for Ompong
Power outage and water disruption. These are the expected consequences of the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong, estimated to make a landfall on the northern portion of the Philippine islands in less than 24 hours.
In preparation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) is calling for volunteers to help.
DENR Calabarzon Assistant Director for Technical Services, Arturo E. Fadriquela said the plan is to prepare their field personnel for two packaged services. The first package is to provide chainsaws with skilled operators and porters, and the second one is to deliver fully-charged generator sets.
Fadriquela, the designated captain for the relief and rescue operations, said they will be in close coordination with the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) should their services be needed.
“Kapag ang hiningi sa atin ay tumulong sa clearing ng area, ang gagawin lang pagpasok sa kalsada, may nakaharang (na puno) itabi, putol, itabi… Wala nang retrieval ‘yon, saka na ‘yon kasi mabilisan ‘yon e. Kailangan kasi ma-clear ‘yung daan para makapasok ang serbisyo, pagkain, tubig,” Fadriquela said.
He also said they are looking into the possibility of providing go bags to the affected communities, and warm bodies to be of aid in other services. “Kung hindi naman apektado, maging available din ang mga tao natin kung saka-sakaling i-deploy sa mga repacking,” the assistant regional director said.
“We would like to have an inventory of standby generators and water tanks that people can lend and we can mobilize in areas of greatest need so we are calling on people to let us know if they have one we can borrow” added DENR Calabarzon Director, Atty. Maria Paz G. Luna.
With regard to the potential garbage accumulation, Luna said “we aim to have as close to a zero waste operation as possible because trash mounds in disaster areas turn into breeding places of pests and germs”.
The relief and rescue operations are part of the Tayo ang Kalikasan program of the department.
Willing volunteers may contact the DENR regional office through hotline numbers 09202068610 and 09553912684, email address This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , or Facebook page @denr4aofficial.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (PAG-ASA) has raised public storm warning signal no. 1 for the entire region.
A Tribute to the Late ‘Queen’ of Anti-illegal Logging Operations
A Tribute to the Late ‘Queen’ of Anti-illegal Logging Operations
Strong-willed and fearless. These are two words which could best describe the ‘small but terrible’ Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) of Real, Quezon, Miliarete “Milet” Buisan-Panaligan, who sadly passed away on August 27, 2018 due to health complication.
The sole woman CENRO in CALABARZON became well-known for her brave and tireless fight against the ‘illegalists’ in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range, particularly, the Real-Infanta-General Nakar (REINA) area, and the Polillo Group of Islands (POGI), both illegal logging ‘hotspots’.
The passionate Batangueña has undeniably left a significant mark not only on her co-employees, but also on the communities and institutions she has closely worked with in her 32 years of service at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Read more: A Tribute to the Late ‘Queen’ of Anti-illegal Logging Operations
Ants Dominate in DENR CALABARZON's Photo Contest on Biodiversity
Ants Dominate in DENR CALABARZON's Photo Contest on Biodiversity
"Experts say if we were to weigh all the ants in the world, they would weigh as much as all of the people, so if ants be gone there will be a big imbalance in our ecosystem," Gerson Kim Penetrante, 26, from Taguig City described his photo entry titled "Strength in Numbers", which won first place in the Photo Contest on Biodiversity organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) CALABARZON.
The photo contest and exhibit held on May 22-23, 2018 in SM City Calamba, Calamba, Laguna was the Department's creative way of observing and conveying to the public the very essence of this year's International Day for Biological Diversity (IDBD) themed "Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity".
Read more: Ants Dominate in DENR CALABARZON's Photo Contest on Biodiversity
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Highlights of RED Gilbert C. Gonzales' Message during the DENR CALABARZON New Year's Call on January 6, 2020
DENR CALABARZON Regional Executive Director Gilbert C. Gonzales begins his message by acknowledging the 2019 accomplishments of CALABARZON officials as he called the names of the Regional Directors for Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), Environment and Management Bureau (EMB), Assistant Regional Directors (ARDs) as well as the Division heads, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officers (PENROs), and Community Environment and Natural Resources Officers (CENROs) together with their Technical Services Division (TSD) and Management Services Division (MSD) Heads. He mentioned that most of the key officials had served the DENR for a longer period, thus, became experts and legends in accomplishing the targets of Region IV-A. Noting that all officials of CALABARZON are indeed responsible and dependable.
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