The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) together with the Rizal provincial government kicked off the agency's latest initiative aimed at improving its ties with other local government units (LGUs) to promote sustainability and resiliency.
Rizal Governor Nina Ynares spearheaded the launch of Project TRANSFORM (Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilient and Sustainable Communities through Multistakeholder Engagement) in the province that was also attended by DENR Sec. Antonia Loyzaga and her undersecretaries, regional directors as well as Rizal Mayors Jun Ynares, Lito Tanjuatco, Willy Robles, Omie Rivera, and Ronnie Evangelista.
Other officials of the LGU, non-government organizations, academe, and stakeholders from the public and private sector were also present at the event.
According to Ynares, there are only four provinces in the country that have the said program which aims to improve disaster risk reduction and adaptation from the adverse effects of climate change.
The DENR launched the second leg of Project TRANSFORM in January where Ormoc, Leyte was the chosen pilot province for the program.
Project TRANSFORM is composed of five modules developed by DENR and Energy Development Corporation (EDC) that will be introduced to the LGUs to strengthen their existing programs in various aspects: biodiversity, greenhouse gases (GHG) accounting, financial literacy, disaster management, and nature-based solutions.
Emphasizing the vital role of data collection in its mission for innovative strategies, policies and processes, the agency pushes for biodiversity profiling of the area and an inventory of species use under the Biodiversity Module. Under the GHG Accounting Module, DENR will bank on carbon accounting to determine how an area contributes to GHG that causes warming and climate change.
"The DENR aims to help LGUs develop a simple financial system to assess projects, and learn basic bookkeeping processes and revenue and reinvestment analysis as template for annual audit of livelihood projects under the Financial Literacy Module," DENR said.
"Training on disaster preparedness and response, and knowledge sharing on earthquake awareness, climate scenario analysis and protocols will be under the Disaster Management Module, while carbon policies to grow back forests and natural habitats will be under Nature-based Solutions Module," it added.
The agency noted Project TRANSFORM, as a whole, will help in area protection, water, energy and food supplies, and augment fund allocation in the ecological sector; provide GHG measures in the social sector; and provide resource-based enterprise development in the economic sector.