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Bohol EcoGov equips environment workers thru IEC workshop
by Rey Anthony Chiu

Tagbilaran City (30 July 2005) -- Further equipping local government officials and environmentalists with the tool to work on the dire need for information dissemination on effects of the wanton disregard for the environment, Philippine Ecological Governance Project 2 (EcoGov) empowered Bohol communicators working for the information education communication advocacy.

EcoGov recently concluded a 2-day information education communication training workshop at the MetroCenter hotel yesterday with high hopes that environment advocacy in Bohol shift to higher planes.

Chit Bigornia, training facilitator said in an interview that a suitable customized information package should be addressed for every intended reaction, and the workshop is a tool equipping local advocates to craft the customized education tool.

More or less 40 participants of the training workshop include legislators, planning and development officers, municipal engineers, public information officers, environment officers and local leader-advocates from Metro Tagbilaran and EcoGov pilot sites in Bohol and Cebu.

Participants were also trained not just to craft information education and communication materials, but also to tap local and national media as partners in the advocacy. The topic on media partnership was discussed by Philippine Information Agency Area Management Officer Elma Teruel.

May Segura Ybanez, EcoGov 2 Visayas team leader during her concluding statements said she Bohol performance is topping EcoGov implementations further goading local leaders to continue with the local advocacies.

EcoGov emerged as a national governments response to the realization that environmental management is best done by local communities suning technical solutions and good governance.

EcoGov is a Philippine Government project with assistance from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

In Bohol, EcoGov is empowering local communities to come up with localized initiatives at implementing Republic Act 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

EcoGov has been in Duero, Jagna, Talibon and is now into helping Metro Tagbilaran cluster to come up with an integrated solid waste management policy in tandem with local legislators.

With Bohol into an aggressive dream of eco-cultural tourism, local environmentalists said it should be able to balance its dreams with the environmental impacts, especially in waste management.

The effort is also another attempt to evade from a potential scourge as what happened to the heaping garbage problem contaminating the country's premier vacation destination in Boracay. (PIA)

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