Members of the Technical Working Group (TWG) tasked to prepare the Municipal Forests and Forestlands Use and Management Plan (FLUP) attended the Module 1-FLUP Training last Tuesday and Wednesday held at the Sangguniang Bayan Session Hall, Maribojoc Presidencia. Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) personnel facilitated the two-day indicative forest resource utilization and management training. The training-workshop centered on the formulation of a draft situational analysis of the initial draft of the profile of the mangrove co-management areas and a SWOT analysis matrix based on the profile. The TWG’s outputs will guide the municipal government, DENR, the provincial government, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and local stakeholders in preparing the resource management plan.

Membership for the TWG will be expanded as it was suggested during the training-workshop to include other stakeholders that can further contribute in coming up with a very comprehensive FLUP. Training facilitators were DENR-CENRO personnel, namely: CDO II Erlita C. Juaton, Planning Officer Lorna Fernandez, Forester/Chief FEIU Narciso Gapas, IT staff Christopher Calipusan and Forest Management Services Chief Leonardo Elle. In his opening message, Mayor Leoncio B. Evasco, Jr. expressed his satisfaction on the partnership between the municipal government and DENR-CENRO. He said, “The LGU will always be up and par with the demands towards the protection of timberland in our town. This partnership is for the preservation and protection of our environment and not for economic purposes.” The committee will undergo the FLUP-Module II training come September after all maps and data will be accomplished and validated at the barangay level. # amjvistal