News Briefs

Help prevent forest fires, public urged

RESIDENTS in forested areas were reminded not to burn weeds lest it causes forest fires this summer.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) said burning weeds may clear the backyard but the residual heat may ignite nearby grasses and cause forest fires that can hit watersheds.

Forester Ambrocio “Boy” Wenceslao of the DENR-7’s Watershed Management Section of Forest Management Services said the burning of weeds in Bohol province caused forest fires that burned down nearly a hectare of watersheds.

In sitio Badaiang, barangay Toong, Cebu City, a bush fire razed 400 square meters of land of the 630-hectare Buhisan Watershed Forest Reserve (BWFR) and burned 23 teak trees.

“Once a fire spreads in the forest it’s hard to put out,” Wenceslao said.

Kaingin or slash and burn farming is also another cause of forest fires, he said.

Wenceslao cited the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (UN) as saying that slash and burn farming is among the leading causes of forest destruction.

Wenceslao said the DENR is asking the public to do their share in avoiding forest fires like putting out lighted cigarette butts.

Aside from prevention, long term solutions like tree-planting and preservation of watersheds are crucial, he said.

About 13,900,433 seedlings need to be planted in the  24,361 hectares of land in Central Visayas to restore forest cover, Wenceslao said.

For Cebu, about 9,812 hectares of land need to be planted by June this year, he said.

Local government units (LGU) should also maintain the trees planted in order to make sure that it wont be wasted, Wenceslao said. Correspondent Christine Emily L. Pantaleon

Mandaue river dredging delayed 

THE dredging of a three-kilometer creek in Mandaue City were among the projects not included for exemption under the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ban on infrastructure that starts tomorrow.

City Planning and Development Officer Florentino Nimor said the creek which runs from barangay Centro to barangay Subangdaku should be dredged ahead of the rainy season which starts on June this year.

Nimor said P8 million was alloted for the project.

Also included in the list of projects for exemption from the Comelec ban were the volunteer fire brigade emergency dry pipe system.

The Mandaue city government also lined up P90 million worth of infrastructure projects under the city’s Annual Investment Plan (AIP) this year.

These include the drainage installation and road concreting of Don Sergio Suico St. in Barangay Canduman; drainage improvement on the corner Tabok-Tingub Road to M. Ceniza Bridge; and drainage installation and road concreting of M. Ceniza St. Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos