Negros tops, Cebu lags in forest land use planning in Region 7
CEBU is lagging behind Negros Oriental in the implementation of Forest Land Use Plans (FLUP) between local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
According to DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Isabelo Montejo, an FLUP is the “best” collaboration the DENR can have with an LGU.
“Even though I’m from Cebu, I saw even before that it’s difficult to create an FLUP here. The interest of the LGUs is not as high as in Negros Oriental,” Montejo told reporters during the Association of Government Information Officers (AGIO) forum yesterday.
Only Alcoy, Dalaguete and Toledo have done their FLUP. Medellin, Bogo, Daanbantayan, San Remigio are still ongoing.
Even Argao town, which is currently facing a complaint before the Office of the Visayas Ombudsman for the alleged illegal cutting of at least 374 trees for a road access project, was about to finish its own FLUP, Montejo said.
“What happened was that they weren’t able to wait for the approval of the joint management plan, Montejo said.
An FLUP is a required component in the Comprehensive Land Use Plans (CLUP) of LGUs together with a Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Plan and Integrated Coastal Resource Management Plan.
In Negros Oriental, only one out of its 15 LGUs hasn’t complied with the FLUP, Montejo said. He described the province as the “champion” in terms of LGU-DENR collaboration. But in Cebu, Montejo said he can only count it with his fingers.
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