Page 36 - Hello Philippines December 2015 'B' ISSUE

34 www.hello-philippines.com NEWS December 2015 / Fortnightly – No. 24 • UK & Europe Edition

bPihoidliipvpeirnseitsynceoendsserPv3a3t4ionbi-lliDonENfoRr
MANILA - The Philippines the Philippines Biodiversity Strategy investment with significant financial
needs P334 billion in the next 13 and Action Plan (PBSAP), the country’s returns to the country. It is an The Philippines is one of 17 mega diverse countries, harboring more diversity of life per hectare than any
years for biodiversity conservation, road map in conserving biodiversity investment that needs to be made other country in the world, according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). File Photo
the Department of Environment and critical ecosystem services for the by both government and the private
and Natural Resources-Biodiversity next 13 years. sector,” said UNDP Philippine Country seeking to address the biodiversity in the management of ecosystems and
Management Bureau (DENR-BMB) Director Titon Mitra. finance challenge in a comprehensive biodiversity. The Philippines is one of
said. Through the UNDP’s Biodiversity manner through building a sound 29 countries involved in the initiative.
Financing Initiative (BioFin), the “This could see a minimum return business case for increased investment
The Philippines is one of 17 mega DENR-BMB has determined the of $10 billion per year from fisheries, n InterAksyon.com / December 13, 2015 / 8:47 am
diverse countries, harboring more financing gap of implementing the eco-tourism and pharmaceuticals
diversity of life per hectare than any PBSAP, estimated to be at least P334 derived from genetic resources,” he
other country in the world, according billion ($7.4 billion) over the next 13 added.
to the United Nations Development years, or equivalent to P24 billion
Program (UNDP). Yet encroachment in annually. This covers actions on: The results of the study were
forested areas, pollution, over fishing, forest, coastal and marine, inland presented today by UNDP and BMB
poor land management practices, wetlands, caves and cave systems, in a press briefing attended by Mr.
are leading to biodiversity loss at an protected areas, invasive alien species, Guillermo Zuñiga, former Costa Rica
alarming rate, it said. agrobiodiversity, access and benefit- finance minister, now UNDP Bio
sharing, and urban biodiversity. Fin Team Leader in Costa Rica, and
To address these threats, the representatives from the Philippines
DENR-BMB, with support from the “This may sound like a huge impost Department of Finance, DENR, and the
UNDP, other national government on the budget but it really is not. It National Economic and Development
agencies, academe, civil society, and should be seen as an investment in Authority.
development partners, has developed conservation and also as an economic
BioFin is a global partnership

Peace panel chair prods Congress to pass BBL as session days dwindle

THE government peace panel ng ating agreement para yong sugat ng (BLBAR), would be concluded by the na gyera na tayo,” she said. naiinip, mawalan ng pag-asa. Iisipin
continues to hold out hope that pagkakahiwahiwalay ay talagang maayos last session day on Dec. 16. Four to five Should there be a failure to implement nila hindi sila naiintindihan dito sa
Congress will pass the proposed na. Unti-unti marami pa tayong programa lawmakers have agreed to withdraw their Pilipinas eh baka mamaya kung ano
Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in its na maisagawa,” she said. names from the list of those who want to all aspects of the peace process during pang kaguluhan ang mangyari. ‘Yun
remaining session days before the start discuss the measure in the plenary. President Benigno Aquino III’s term, Ferrer ‘yung iniiwasan din natin, na hindi
of the 2016 elections campaign season, Ferrer urged lawmakers to attend said the aim would be to “strengthen” the naman ang maging pakiramdam ay
even if the House of Representatives has sessions so that the measure could be Despite the quorum woes which agreement forged by the two parties well hindi naiintindihan yong aspiration
been having a problem mustering the put to a vote on the plenary in its three have hounded the House since sessions into the next administration. ng ating mga kapatid na Bangsamoro
quorum in recent months. remaining session days for the year this resumed on Nov. 3, Belmonte said he dito,” Coronel-Ferrer said.
week, since the attendance problem is is confident that there will be enough Nevertheless, the government peace
In an interview with dzBB Sunday, expected to worsen when sessions resume lawmakers attending the plenary next panel chair said putting off the proposed In a separate statement, Isabela
government peace panel chair Miriam in January 2016 after the holiday break week to enable the chamber to tackle vital BBL’s passage for the start of the 17th Rep. Rodolfo Albano III appealed to his
Coronel-Ferrer appealed to lawmakers starting Dec. 19. measures. Congress would be akin to starting from colleagues to pass the proposed BBL.
to prioritize the Bangsamoro bill’s scratch since the measure, now called the
passage so that other components of the Addressing House members, the “Tingin ko [magkakaroon kami ng proposed Basic Law for the Bangsamoro “We have done so much to allow the
peace agreement signed with the Moro government peace panel chair said: “Kung quorum]. Matatapos na kami eh,” he said. Autonomous Region, would have to peace measure to reach the final stage
Islamic Liberation Front could start. kaya pa naman sa mga susunod na araw be refiled and discussed again at the of legislation. All that the BBL needs is
eh sikapin pa din natin. Ang tagal talaga While acknowledging that the committee level before being taken up in one final push that will bring hope for
“Last chance sa mga huling araw ng delay kung hindi mangyari. Sayang Bangsamoro bill has been languishing for the plenary. a lasting peace in Mindanao. We are a
na ito na matapos natin ang hakbang yong panahon.” more than a year in the legislative mill, bit closer to have this passed into law,
na ito [legislation of the proposed BBL] Ferrer said it is noteworthy that neither She expressed the concern that and so I urge my fellow legislators to
nang sa ganon ay makatutok tayo sa House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. the government nor the MILF has reneged prolonging the period for the Bangsamoro join hands, cooperate and fulfill their
mas mahalaga pang pagbabagong pang has expressed optimism that the period from its commitments to each other. bill’s passage even just by two years could constitutional duty passing the BBL”
ekonomiya—yung reconciliation and of interpellation on the Bangsamoro bill, lead to disgruntlement among some he said. n Xianne Arcangel / BM, GMA News /
transitional justice na isa pang aspeto now called the proposed Basic Law for “Ang punto lang naman siguro, stakeholders in the peace process.
the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region ang mahalaga ay walang umaatras sa Published / December 13, 2015 / 6:16 pm
kasunduan. Ibig sabihin, walang nagsasabi “Hindi tayo sigurado na baka may

Quiapo fire leaves 1,000 families homeless, forces Manila cops to move out
MANILA - At least a thousand commercial area in Manila’s Quiapo all firefighting units in the National hampered the work of firefighters. Philippine National Police (PNP)

families were rendered homeless by district Friday, a blaze so huge it Capital Region are required to respond. In a radio interview, he said arrived to help secure the prisoners at

the fire that gutted a huge residential- reached general alarm level - meaning, The Manila Police District’s Station 3 firefighters have had to pump water the city jail.

was forced to evacuate its detainees from engine to engine to reach the A firefighting helicopter from the

and equipment. blaze. Philippine Air Force circled around

Also near the fire area is the Fabella Diaz estimated that more than a the fire scene and air-dropped fire

Hospital compound, a state-owned thousand families have been affected extinguishing fluids.

hospital that is a showcase for maternal by the blaze, which spread quickly Initially reported among the injured

health care. through the mostly residential area were: Richard Hidalgo, fire volunter

The streets around the vicinity where many structures were of light Eugene Mallare, and Senior Fire

of Barangay 310 were clogged and materials. Officer 4 Arnel Mallare.

jammed by people who brought out He also explained that the The fire was declared under control

belongings from their houses to save explosions heard in the fire area were as of 12:06 p.m. by Bureau of Fire

these from possibly being consumed by “normal” and probaly from exploding Protection chief Lorenzo de Guia.

the fire. cooking gas canisters in houses and As of Friday night, only 200 of the

But while Superintendent Cristo eateries. 1,000 affected families opted to stay

Diaz, assistant director for operations At least 38 detainees were brought at the Barangay 310’s covered court

of the Bureau of Fire Protection-NCR, out of Manila Police Department’s that social workers converted into a

said the blaze was largely confined to Alvarez Station and transferred to temporary shelter. Most of the others

the block bounded by Quezon Avenue Station 3. roomed in with luckier neighbors. n

and Claro M. Recto, heavy traffic and A team from the Bureau of Jail InterAksyon.com / Zony R. Esguerra / News5 / December

Quiapo fire scene along Recto Avenue. Photographed by Angel Santos. the narrow streets around the area Management and Penology and the 4, 2015 / 9:42 am