DENR partners with PLDT, Smart to promote awareness on peatlands

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu. INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Friday partnered with telecommunications giant PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications Inc. to promote public awareness on peatlands in Caraga Region.

The DENR said peatlands are wetlands that consist of “carbon-rich dead and decaying plant matter.” If kept wet, peatlands can store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined.

In a statement, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said peatlands must be highlighted because it would provide potable water, assist in preserving global biodiversity as well as reduce flood risks.

“Peatlands are dubbed as ‘one of the most valuable ecosystems on Earth’ according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature or IUCN because apart from all these uses, they also help mitigate climate change and global warming,” Cimatu also said.

DENR cited notable peatlands in Caraga Region such as Caimpugan Peatland in the Agusan Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWS) at Agusan del Sur.

DENR said the Caimpugan Peatland is the only remaining intact peat swamp forest nationwide.

The crucial role of peatlands in mitigating remains largely overlooked, DENR also noted.

The environment agency and PLDT-Smart presented a conversation program on peatlands in a web activity last Nov. 6 to kick off Climate Change Consciousness Week.

JPV