DENR, JICA prepare for Fire Prevention Month

As the month of March which is also Fire Prevention Month approaches, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), through a joint project on enhancement of community-based forest management in the Philippines took deliberate steps in preventing and managing forest fires by conducting a trainers training on forest fire management.

The activity was held through the leadership of the project’s training component, director Adeluisa G. Siapno of DENR, and Katsuya Taki of JICA, at the Environment and Natural Resources Academy, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija last Jan. 16 to 25. The activity is also in support to DENR-Region 3 2006 strategic action plan on forest fire management and control.

The objective of the course was to create a pool of forest/grassland management and control experts and trainers consisting of 45 DENR technical field personnel in Region 3 (Central Luzon), who will lead the community forest fire volunteers/brigade in controlling and managing forest fires in their respective areas of concern.

Considering the vastness of forest and grassland areas to be protected from forest fires to ensure the safety of plantations and even agricultural areas, the participants in this ten-day activity were in turn, expected to organize, train and mobilize community as partners in this effort. Such were the expectations after providing the participants with appropriate knowledge through lecture/discussions and demonstration/simulation in managing controlling forest fire.

The occurrence of forest fires have been regarded as one of the causes of forest destruction in the country which consequently affect forest resources, plantations, watersheds and agricultural areas. Data presented by Forester Arthur Zalazar of the said Region during the training, revealed that from 199 to 2005 the total area burned in the Region was abut 11,817.71 hectares entailing cost of approximately P43,689,416.00.