The City Government of San Fernando and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 1 entered into a Memorandum of Agreement for the creation of the City Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP) held at Engineered Sanitary Landfill, Barangay Mameltac, Thursday, (June 25, 2020).

City Mayor, Alfredo Pablo R. Ortega, DENR Regional Executive Director Atty. Crizaldy M. Barcelo and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Maximo Soriano, Jr led the MOA signing. Also present during the event were members of the City Council Hon. John H. Orros, Hon. Rizalde F. Laudencia, Hon. Jessie R. Miranda, Barangay Captains, and CENRO personnel.

Executive Order No. 318 (Promoting Sustainable Forest Management in the Philippines) mandates local government units (LGUs) to incorporate

FLUP into their comprehensive land-use plans.

FLUP is the participatory process of allocating forests and forestlands as natural resource assets by the government under appropriate management and tenure arrangement.

The primary purpose of a FLUP is to conserve and manage the existing forest areas located in the City. Moreover, this is to avoid environmental destruction and minimize conflicts between and among community members who directly or indirectly benefit from these resources.

The People’s City will always ensure that our natural environment is protected. The City Government will never cease to strengthen partnerships with organizations geared towards maintaining the status of forest lands and biodiversity management.

(Story & Photos by Erwin Beleo)