By JUNE S. BLANCO
Bohol Sunday Post | April 19, 2009

ENVIRONMENTAL economics – and political will – make protecting the environment a lot easier.

Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado identified these solutions to threats to the environment during the forum on environmental justice sponsored by the Supreme Court and held at the University of the Visayas in Iloilo City recently.

Aumentado was among the resource persons in the forum attended by government representatives, non-government organizations, civil society and cause-oriented groups in the effort to craft the draft Rule of

Procedure for Environmental Cases. The move intends to expedite the disposition of such cases vis-à-vis their mounting number now pending in designated “green courts” nationwide.

The governor said tourism and agriculture are Bohol’s major economic drivers. As such, the province cannot afford to ravage its environment which, along with its rich culture and heritage, is Bohol’s tourism come-on, he explained.

Bohol has had its share of environmental concerns and problems ranging from illegal logging, quarrying and mining to fishing such that to address them, it developed its environment code – the first province in the country to do so.

Known for his policy of building on the accomplishments of his predecessors, the governor acknowledged the institutionalization of the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO) through the code, and even issued executive orders complementary to national laws to strengthen it.

With the environment code and executive orders in place – and the governor’s political will as the stirring force – coastal law enforcers made 224 apprehensions, apprehended 1,044 persons and filed 162 cases in court against fishermen using illegal methods in 2008 alone.

With no apparent lowering of the guards of the enforcers in sight, the fishermen soon turned to alternate means of livelihood like seaweeds culture and mariculture including fish caging introduced by the province, especially for the 10 northern towns abutting the Danajon Double Barrier Reef – the only such formation in Asia.

Aumentado also issued an executive order enforcing the 20-meter salvage zone or easement for public use that prohibits the building of permanent structures within the area along shorelines of eco-cultural clusters in the province.

Another order constituted the technical working group for the Alona Beach sand recovery and shoreline rehabilitation project to save the beauty of the white-sand strip in Panglao – and the creation of Task Force Kabukiran to go after violators of land-based laws like anti illegal logging, quarrying and mining and other forestry laws.

Aumentado chairs the task force, and his instruction to the members to strictly implement these laws netted a government-owned cargo truck loaded with limestone for a government road project because of failure of the driver to present documents for the quarry materials. The task force impounded the truck, releasing it only upon payment of the corresponding fine by the local government unit (LGU).

An incumbent local official is also in hot water for loading g’melina with no documents onto his truck. The governor finds no excuse for the official because being the top councilor who is a retired chief of police at that, he could not even claim ignorance of the law for his violation.

A sibling of another local official who is his political ally also faces raps after transporting pebbles without documents.

Aside from seaweeds culture and mariculture, another strategy the governor developed under his environmental economics is the reforestation of barren and idle uplands with tuba-tuba or kasla (Jatropha curcas) for biofuel.

A one-hectare plantation will need two workers. As the province targets 12,000 hectares, this translates into jobs for 24,000 Boholanos and twice this number during harvest time. The berry-like fruits produce biofuel all production of which the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) will buy.

Aumentado will sign shortly an agreement to the effect with PNOC and Petrogreen Corp. – the firm producing the seedlings of chosen high-yielding Jatropha varieties. PNOC will establish a biofuel expeller facility for every 3,000 hectares planted to Jatropha, it was learned.

The governor will also sign another agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the ABS-CBN Foundation Bantay Kalikasan for the reforestation of three of Bohol’s seven major watersheds.

These are Bohol’s contributions to mitigate global warming, he said.



ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS. Gov. Erico Aumentado shares Bohol’s best practices on environmental stewardship during the forum on environmental justice sponsored by the Supreme Court held recently at the University of the Philippines Visayas campus in Iloilo City.