DENR-7 defines boundaries of protected areas

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources -7 has completed the assessment and delineation of boundaries between forestlands, national parks and agricultural lands in Central Visayas which has a total area of 8, 838.355 kilometers.

This came after a Regional Assessment and Delineation Teams (RADT) and Land Evaluation Party (LEP) was organized in 2008 to gather the necessary data and conduct and inventory as well as compile and integrate available reference maps and other information needed for the assessment and delineation of boundaries of forestlands, national parks, and agricultural lands.

DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Maximo O. Dichoso, in a statement furnished to The FREEMAN, said that a total of 8,838.355 kilometers of forestland boundary in four provinces comprising the region was successfully assessed and delineated.

With the delineation, Cebu was found to have 3,184.83 kilometers or 36.03 percent; Bohol – 2,880.029 kilometers or 32.59 percent; Negros Oriental – 2,536.685 kilometers or 28.70 percent, and Siquijor – 236.811 kilometers or 2.70 percent.

Dichoso said delineation is necessary to strengthen our environmental protection initiatives particularly in protected areas and national parks to prevent further degradation or exploitation.

Delineation is the conduct of site investigation, field reconnaissance and assessment, and staking boundaries between forestlands, national parks, and agricultural lands.

In year 2000, the country’s forestland boundary delineation was started pursuant to Sec. 4, Article XII of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which mandates the Congress “to determine by law the specific limits of the public domain.”

In 2008, DENR, through an administrative order, included in its delineation program the boundaries of coastal and mangrove areas of the country to enable the RADTs to propose new blocks or parcels within forest zone areas to non-conforming land uses/agricultural areas or vice versa based on secondary and primary data as well as the actual field survey. (FREEMAN)