The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is reported to have flagged a resort for not releasing some turtles that are in its care.
But where should the turtles be released? Does the DENR have a facility to ensure that the turtles will survive when they are surrendered by the resort management to the DENR? Or, should the resort management just simply release the animals to the wilds of the seas and let the irresponsible among fishermen or anyone who lives by the sea take care of its fate?
This again will be another subject to the “Let us to see” iconic statement of the late Davaoeno Senator Landring Almendras.
Frankly, we believe that this is something that the DENR should endeavor to find ways not to have the animals belonging to the already endangered species become fair game to the whims and caprices of predators including human beings. The agency should find ways to establish facilities that can ensure the survival of animals, more specifically the turtles, when these are released from captivity.
Let us not forget that some individuals find the turtles a delicacy that is tempting. Therefore if they can find one in the waters they will consider it a precious catch to satisfy their gastronomic desire.
So, where will that bring the DENR’s supposed efforts to preserve the endangered turtles – down the drains?
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Indeed the floods that were brought by the daily heavy downpour almost the whole of last week brought sufferings to the people in some areas in the Davao Region. We have Davao de Oro and Davao Oriental as two of the most affected provinces. The continuous rains brought several landslides and massive floods. As of yesterday the reported death toll was some fifteen or so all over the region.
Then yesterday we read in the papers that a mining company operating in Mati, Davao Oriental sent its people bearing assistance in food packs and perhaps other personal necessities to the flood victims in the area.
The company just did what is proper. It has to have some kind of atonement for the “sin” it has committed to the people in that city when the mining firm did its devastation in its concession areas.
When the company emptied the vowels of the earth in some of the mountains of the province to get the ores they need, it actually rendered the mountains bald and obliterate whatever remains of the forest in its areas of operation.
So there is no doubt the company has contributed to the occurrence of the massive flood due to the unimpeded flow of rain water from the mountains. Therefore, it becomes the company’s responsibility to come to the rescue of the people victimized by its greed for the resources beneath the earth.
As we wrote earlier in this space it is very unfortunate that it is the people who are getting the brunt of the vengeance of nature from the sins attributable to a few irresponsible businesses in the country – the logging companies of old and the present; and the miners both legal and illegal.
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And talking (or writing) about the environment, we are just intrigued to the maximum why until now, more than three years after several garbage bins had been delivered to certain rural barangays, these remain piled in some “deliberately” hidden corners of the compounds of the barangay centers.
Yes, the large, apparently heavy duty plastic garbage receptacles were delivered to recipient barangsys in some rural areas in Davao City more than three years ago. Specifically, these were procured by the city and delivered to the recipient barangays shortly before the 2019 local elections.
But still the bins remain stocked and undistributed to strategic areas in the barangays where residents can dispose of their garbage and the garbage truck contracted by the city can collect the garbage.
But no, these bins are still piled and are now almost covered by tall grasses growing in the areas where the garbage bins are waiting to be taken and distributed.
It has been years also since the barangay officials have held seminars on how residents should handle their garbage like segregating them in terms of biodegradable and non-biodegradable, and how these should be deposited in the bins. Yet, after the seminars nothing happened. The bins are not in areas where it should have been appropriately located for the residents’ use.
We are calling on the city government, especially the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) to please tell the people as to what is its plan with the long idle garbage bins. We know the city officials are fully aware that the garbage bins are purchased by the city using the Davao City residents’ money paid to the local government in terms of taxes.. We believe that there is no need to emphasize this fact over and over again.
