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As plastic waste accumulates in the ocean at alarming rates, the need for efficient and sustainable remediation solutions is urgent. One solution is the development and mobilization of technologies that either 1) prevent plastics from entering waterways or 2) collect marine and riverine plastic pollution. Moreover, According to a recent report from the World Economic Forum and PwC, Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for the Earth, the maturation of key technologies including big data and machine learning is opening up new possibilities for Earth conservation. For example, with increased computing power and AI algorithms, climate scientists can better understand natural systems and optimize interventions by modeling and predicting climate patterns in a new field of “climate informatics.” It also allows for better coordination between researchers to share and analyze key data on pollution. While these efforts to collect plastic pollution are laudable, their current capacity and widespread implementation are limited in comparison to their potential and the vast extent of the plastic pollution problem.

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Ilocano youth make way to beat plastic pollution

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Ilocano youth make way to beat plastic pollution

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CARING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT. Patricia Dacanay (2nd from right) and her fellow youth volunteers during their latest coastal clean-up in Currimao, Ilocos Norte.

LAOAG CITY -A group of young Ilocano volunteers is making waves in Ilocos Norte for protecting the marine resources and do away with plastic pollution.

During their free time, they would gather near the beach and pick scattered plastic materials and bottles or they would fun dive and conduct underwater clean-up.

Proudly calling themselves as ocean patrollers, these young individuals are part of the greater environment advocacy group dubbed as "Movement Against Plastic Pollution" or MAPP in Ilocos Norte, which aims to love, protect and educate people about their role stewards of nature.

"Plastic pollution is everyday's problem. Plastics are everywhere, including in your own dinner table, in your own food. So be part of the solution," said Patricia Dacanay, a young environmentalist from Currimao town, who is also the founder of MAPP. As an anti-plastic advocate, the 20-year-old Dacanay shows how zero waste lifestyle can be rewarding in the long run.

Together with other youth volunteers, the MAPP is active in social networking sites to promote its anti-plastic advocacy.

In partnership with schools, the movement organized "Usapang Dagay: A marine conservation day camp" on June 9, to reach out to fellow youth and instill awareness on how to get rid of plastic pollution little by little.

Attended by 41 participants, the whole-day event featured discussions on marine and coastal ecosystem, fishery laws, plastic pollution and zero waste lifestyle.

Arthur Valente, Fishery Regulatory Officer of Ilocos Norte, said a number of marine animals and fish are dying due to plastic pollution and not just due to water contamination.

"The solution to the problem on waste starts with oneself. People lack discipline and they tend to abuse it," said Valente.

Enjoining everyone to be part of the solution, Dacanay said "we don't need plastic. Our environment need not suffer due to the wrongdoings of man." (PNA)

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Ilocano youth make way to beat plastic pollution

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LAOAG CITY-A group of young Ilocano volunteers is making waves in Ilocos Norte for protecting the marine resources and do away with plastic pollution.During their free time, they would gather near the beach and pick scattered plastic materials and bottles or they would fun dive and...

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Coastal villages also blamed for beach pollution in Ilocos

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Coastal villages also blamed for beach pollution in Ilocos

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LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN-Coastal communities are also as liable as tourist establishments for violating environmental laws in the Ilocos region.

Martin Valera, Ilocos regional director of the Department of Tourism, disclosed this on Thursday as a multisectoral monitoring task force started inspecting coastal tourism facilities in the region.

"Many establishments are noncompliant. But settlement areas in coastal communities also have issues. This is not just a tourism problem. It's a health ..., governance and environmental issue," he said.
Waste disposal
The Ilocos region, which is composed of the provinces of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, has a 708.17-kilometer coastline stretching from Pagudpud town in Ilocos Norte to Infanta town in Pangasinan. It also has 47 coastal towns and six coastal cities.

The most common violations in the tourist destinations involved the disposal of solid and water wastes, as well as structures built 30 meters from the high tide waterline, Valera said.

Aside from Pagudpud, which was recently inspected by Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu, environmental breaches were also observed in the beaches of San Fabian and Bolinao towns in Pangasinan, said Reynulfo Juan, Ilocos regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

"I could say that we are in a much better situation [than Boracay]. But there are certain local issues that have to be immediately addressed so things will not worsen," Juan said.

During a coastal watch summit in La Union last month, some 300 beach resort owners, local government officials and representatives from nongovernment and peoples' organizations from the Ilocos region agreed to clean up their waterfronts and rectify environmental code violations.

With Boracay's closure for six months, the beaches in the region could be offered as alternative destinations, Juan said.
Tourism sites
Among the region's popular tourist destinations include the white sand beaches of Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte and Bolinao in Pangasinan, the surfing area in San Juan town in La Union, the Hundred Islands National Park in Alaminos City, and the public beaches of San Fabian, Lingayen and Dagupan City in Pangasinan and Bauang town in La Union. -GABRIEL CARDINOZA

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Coastal villages also blamed for beach pollution in Ilocos

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LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN-Coastal communities are also as liable as tourist establishments for violating environmental laws in the Ilocos region. Martin Valera, Ilocos regional director of the Department of Tourism, disclosed this on Thursday as a multisectoral monitoring task force started inspecting coastal tourism facilities in the region. "Many establishments are noncompliant.

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Ilocos Norte is known for its bountiful tourist attractions and beautiful natural made sites. As this is popular to many people, it is always a go to spot for tourists in every part of the world. With this, as many people go, many also not just leave their footprints behind but also their trash. Sad to say, as the province becomes more popular, it becomes more polluted. We need to address this issue in order to prevent our beautiful nature to be destroyed and ruined.

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Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

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Recent advances in remote sensing technology and the rising commercial availability of their products enable the assemblage of increasingly more complete inventories and improve monitoring efforts. On the ground, multi-method dating campaigns enhance our understanding of the timelines of dam formation and failure. In comparison to single-dating methods, they reduce uncertainty by using different materials from the landslide deposit, facilitate the advantages of each method, and consider the deposit and the source area.   Geophysical methods provide non-invasive and rapid methods to investigate the properties and interior conditions of landslides. By identifying, e.g. evolving zones of weakness and saturation they can aid in the monitoring of a dam in addition to providing information on interior stratification for scientific research. To verify results from geophysical campaigns, and to add details of dam interior structures and geotechnical properties, knowledge of their sedimentology is essential.

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Ilocos Norte LGUs urged to prioritize construction of landfills

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Ilocos Norte LGUs urged to prioritize construction of landfills

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LANDFILLS. Ilocos Norte mayors discuss their environmental concerns with DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu. Cimatu, who is a native of Bangui, Ilocos Norte urged the mayors to make Ilocos Norte a model, in terms of implementing the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. (Photo from the Facebook page of Michael Marcos Keon)

LAOAG CITY -- The local chief executives of the 21 towns and two cities of Ilocos Norte vowed to have their own operational sanitary landfills by the end of this year.

In compliance with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or RA 9003, Secretary Roy Cimatu of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources met with Ilocos Norte mayors here on August 8 as he urged them to make Ilocos Norte a role model in terms of solid waste management.

"Let's make Ilocos Norte a model in full compliance of the solid waste management act. We can do it if we all work together," said Cimatu, as he has been making rounds of the country to personally encourage local leaders to address the worsening problem on garbage collection and disposal.

Cimatu said that effective solid waste management may be expensive but LGUs are not without options. He suggested that LGUs pool their resources to set up a common sanitary landfill.

"Adjacent municipalities or cities may cluster together and pool their resources to establish sanitary landfills," he said. If lack of funds is a problem, Cimatu said the LGUs may avail of government loans through the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) under its green financing program.

"DBP is willing to provide financial and technical assistance to LGUs in implementing environment projects, including solid waste management," Cimatu added.

In Laoag, City Mayor Michael M. Keon reported Tuesday they are currently studying alternate methods of waste segregation apart from establishing a new landfill.

"We are considering the building of a waste disposal facility that will segregate organic and biodegradable material from plastics and non-biodegradable material which can then be used to create such things as plastic, table and chairs and even generate electricity," Keon said.

Keon added the city's open dumpsite in Barangay Lagui does not conform to environment law hence they are now replacing it with a regulated sanitary landfill in Balatong.

"It is important and only fair to state that the previous administration was already grappling with this issue hence, the choice of the new projected landfill at Barangay Balatong. The election got in the way and slowed down the conversion process," he said.

Passed in 2000, the full implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management of each LGU in the entire Philippines remains a challenge due to lack of political will from some local leaders. (PNA)

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Ilocos Norte LGUs urged to prioritize construction of landfills

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LAOAG CITY -- The local chief executives of the 21 towns and two cities of Ilocos Norte vowed to have their own operational sanitary landfills by the end of this year.In compliance with the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or RA 9003, Secretary Roy Cimatu of the Department of Environment...

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Ilocos Norte lauds ranger officers for forest rehab efforts

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Ilocos Norte lauds ranger officers for forest rehab efforts

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ENVIRONMENT RANGERS. Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc on Thursday (June 24, 2021) lauded the barangay ranger officers for safeguarding Ilocos Norte's watersheds and upland forests. As an incentive, each of them received PHP12,000 as part of the provincial government's cash-for-work program. ( Photo courtesy of Shine Tamondong)

LAOAG CITY - The province of Ilocos Norte has lauded the efforts of its barangay ranger officers (BROs) for safeguarding its upland forest and watersheds.

Running for eight years now, the provincial government, through its Environment and Natural Resources Office, has sustained its local greening program particularly in ensuring the upkeep of the so-called "Green Wall" of Ilocos Norte that spans around 8,000 hectares of forest lands and watersheds in the municipalities of Solsona, Marcos, Nueva Era, Dingras, Vintar and the cities of Batac and Laoag City.

Parts of it can be accessed through bike and other four-wheeled vehicles, which serves as added highway and eco-tourism attractions of Ilocos Norte especially in this time of the pandemic.

According to Community Development officer Estrella "Baby" Sacro, they can not thank enough the barangay ranger officers (BRO) who are responsible for planting and growing thousands of forest tree seedlings and fruit-bearing trees in these areas.

With a minimum salary of PHP3,000 a month, hundreds of them are deployed up in the mountains to plant more trees and at the same time, guard the area from various threats.

On Thursday, at least 65 of them came down and went to the Capitol to receive their stipends, which were personally handed to them by Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc.

Each of them receives PHP12,000 which accounts for their salary from January to April.

"Our BROs are responsible for preventing forest fires, planting fruit and tree seedlings as well as in ensuring a high survival rate of the plants through applying fertilizers and safeguarding the watershed," said Sacro in an interview Friday.

The program of recruiting BROs is also meant for job-generating purposes.

Sacro said that aside from their cash allowances, they can also grow some root crops such as ginger, taro, and sweet potatoes which they can sell to sustain their family needs.

Under Governor Matthew Joseph Manotoc's leadership, the hiring of more BROs for every town is a priority program to address and find solutions for various climate change issues in the province such as landslides and frequent droughts. (PNA)

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Ilocos Norte lauds ranger officers for forest rehab efforts

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LAOAG CITY - The province of Ilocos Norte has lauded the efforts of its barangay ranger officers (BROs) for safeguarding its upland forest and watersheds.Running for eight years now, the provincial government, through its Environment and Natural Resources Office, has sustained...

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Ilocos Norte is know to be at the end of the archipelago of the Philippines. Most of the municipalities and cities of Ilocos Norte are known to be along the shore of the West Philippine Sea. As a result, it is known to be prone to calamities such as typhoons, heavy rains, flood, landslide, and many more. Since it is prone to these, it should be addressed that Ilocos Norte should have a solid plan regarding what to do incases of these emergencies or better, the government of Ilocos Norte should have preventions and plans that are transparent to people in order for them to know what to do in future disasters.

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Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

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https://www.dti.gov.ph/regions/region-1/#:~:text=REGION%201%20(ILOCOS%20REGION)&text=Economy%20in%20the%20region%20is,bagoong)%20processing%2C%20among%20others.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012825221001471

https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal15

https://news.itu.int/5-technologies-beatplasticpollution/

https://www.philatlas.com/luzon/r01/ilocos-norte.html

https://psa.gov.ph/content/highlights-region-i-ilocos-region-population-2020-census-population-and-housing-2020-cph

http://museoilocosnorte.com/ilocos-norte/information/brief-history-of-ilocos-norte/

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For more details of the population of each municipality and city in Ilocos Norte click this.

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For a more in-depth discussion about what the history of Ilocos Norte is, click this.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies