DENR forms 4 committees to focus on action plans

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-7 through the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)- 7 has formed four committees to attend to different action areas under the national environmental education action plan (NEEAP).

This, as the newly reconstituted Regional Inter-agency Steering Committee on Environmental Education was convened recently.

The four committees are the maintenance of common resource facility for environmental information, education and communication exchange, and linkage with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) environmental education inventory database; training of teachers and trainers; partnerships and networking for environmental education and education for sustainable development; and performance evaluation and environmental education programs.

Isabelo R. Montejo, DENR-7 regional executive director and RIASCEE chairman, said that the newly formed committee pursues collaborative inter-agency and multi-sectoral efforts in trying to implement the NEEAP as a roadmap for transparent, fruitful and genuine partnerships.

Montejo added that the committees will formulate strategies and action plan to implement the integration of environmental education in all school curricula, whether public or private, including barangay daycare, preschool, non-formal, technical vocational, professional level, indigenous learning and out of school youth courses or programs.

It was also agreed by the committee to make environmental education materials more accessible to the public through providing more environmental books, pamphlets, and posters in different schools, public and private libraries in the region. —/MIT (FREEMAN)