NextGen Day

Due to an increase in the number of man-made forest fires during the dry season, field officers from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have been asked to assess existing forest fire prevention measures.

According to a DENR press release issued on Saturday, as national Covid-19 case trends continue to drop, the relaxation of restrictions on people’s movements in many parts of the country is also likely.

According to the DENR-Forest Management Bureau’s records, forest fire occurrences decreased from 1,282 in 2019 to 429 in 2020, thanks to lockdown efforts.

DENR’s field staff and implementers have been receiving cluster training on the many aspects, technicalities, and principles of a forest fire from DENR and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

DENR field staff who have received BFP training conduct forest fire preparedness and response training with DENR-engaged upland communities in its different initiatives, especially those covered by the Expanded National Greening Program (ENGP) in their areas of responsibility.

In a statement, DENR Acting Secretary Jim Sampulna said, “Forest fires are mostly fueled by human activities, making it imperative for us to recalibrate our response readiness and forest fire prediction alertness to pre-pandemic levels, which calls for tighter coordination with people’s organizations and family beneficiaries of the National Greening Program.”

“Our field offices and communities are our front line in the fight against forest fires.” “Avoiding starting a fire is the primary line of defense against forest fire,” Sampulna continued.

Man-made forest fires are typically the result of kaingin or slash-and-burn farming, honeycomb smoking to collect honey, cigarette butts, and other fire-related activities.

In 2020, 389 of the 429 outbreaks occurred in ENGP-accredited plantation locations, totaling 7,830 hectares worth P119.3 million.

There were forty outbreaks in natural forests, or forestlands populated with naturally growing indigenous trees, affecting 1,278 hectares and causing P4.27 million in damages.

In 2019, a total of 1,282 outbreaks (1,205 in ENGP sites; 77 in natural forests) were documented, affecting 24,091 hectares (22,3723 hectares in ENGP sites; 1,719 hectares in natural forests) and costing PHP417.9 million in damages (PHP396 million in ENGP sites; PHP22.2 million in natural forests).

BFP Director Louie Puracan emphasized the importance of DENR-partner communities in forest fire prevention and detection, adding that field officers’ readiness “gives them vital lead time to respond accordingly” in the case of a forest fire outbreak.

Puracan stated, “A mechanism is already in place for the BFP to respond, which includes other appropriate agencies such as the DENR and the concerning disaster risk and reduction management council.”

The BFP was established by Republic Act 6975, also known as the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, which mandated that the agency is in charge of preventing and suppressing all damaging fires, including forest fires.

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