The Province of Rizal’s climate action programs are set to get a boost as the Department of Environment and Natural Resource brings in eight multi-stakeholder collaboration projects for environmental protection and disaster resilience.

DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga and Rizal Governor Nina Ricci Ynares launched Thursday the Project TRANSFORM (Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilience and Environmental Sustainability through Multi-stakeholder Engagement) with programs to enhance food and water security, waste management, and sustainable livelihood.

“Project TRANSFORM is a two-year-old initiative of the DENR that seeks to converge efforts and expertise of the government, academe, private sector, and civil society in the country’s cities and municipalities nationwide to alleviate poverty through green and blue jobs, enhance community resilience to the impacts of climate change, and promote strong public-private partnerships,” Loyzaga explained.

Project TRANSFORM was originated as an offshoot of a panel discussion in the first multi-stakeholder forum of the DENR in 2022, with Ormoc City, Leyte, as the pilot implementation area. Last year, Project TRANSFORM was launched in the provinces of Bataan and Surigao del Norte. It is now being implemented in the municipalities of Limay, Mariveles, and Orion in Bataan province and in the cities of Malimono, San Francisco, and Burgos in the province of Surigao del Norte.

The province of Rizal, with a land area of 1,308.92 square kilometers and a population of over 3.3 million people, hosts five protected areas.

These are the Hinulugang Taktak Protected Landscape, the Pamitinan Protected Landscape, the Kaliwa River Forest Reserve, the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape, and the National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary and Game Preserve recognized under Presidential Proclamation 1636.

“These are immediate and actionable opportunities ahead of us and we look forward to seeing how we can link what has already been done and what else could be possible areas for collaboration,” Loyzaga noted.

The strategic engagement and the activities under Project TRANSFORM are guided and supported by the National Resilience Council, Peace and Equity Foundation, Zuellig Family Foundation, Philippine Business for Social Progress, and First Philippine Holdings Corporation.

The signed projects for Rizal Province included sustainable water security, regenerative tourism, waterways and riverbank stabilization, sustainable solid waste management, nature trees preservation, greenhouse gas accounting, regenerative tourism, sustainable livelihood, and rainforest connect to be implemented in Antipolo City, Baras, Tanay, San Mateo, and Rodriguez (formerly Montalban).

During the launch, Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc. Executive Director Dave Jesus Devilles signed the Memorandum of Agreement for the Sustainable Water Security Project together with Secretary Loyzaga, Governor Ynares, Antipolo City Mayor Jun Ynares, San Mateo Mayor Bartolome Rivera, Rodriguez Mayor Ronnie Evangelista and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) CALABARZON Regional Director Dr. Carlos P. Buasen, Jr. The partnership aims to increase the forest cover of the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape, reduce its vulnerability to erosion and landslides, increase water supply in the lowland communities, and address poverty alleviation and food security in upland communities.

In the goal to shift towards more sustainable tourism for Tanay, the DENR launched the Regenerative Tourism for Resilient Tanay through another Memorandum of Agreement.

Together with the Tanay Mayor Rafael Tanjuatco, signatories for the project are the Bureau of Corrections Deputy General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., Manila Water Corporation, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Victor Emmanuel De Dios, A Brown Company, Inc. Executive Vice President Paul Francis Juat, and University of Rizal System Nancy T. Pascual.

To contribute to a resilient local economy, a Sustainable Livelihood initiative for the local communities in Tanay will be led by the Department of Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, WawaJVCo, Inc., Jollibee Group Foundation, and Eastern Rizal Miners Association. As part of the Project TRANSFORM, the project will contribute to the vision of sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development by empowering communities including the Indigenous People (IPs), through the provision of livelihood training and programs in collaboration with various stakeholders and partners.

The DENR has also secured the Pledges of Commitment to implement the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Project for San Mateo with SM Prime Holdings, Inc., International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist, Inc., Jollibee Group Foundation, and San Mateo Municipal College. Among the undertakings under this include the Trash to Cash Program, an educational program, community-based risk reduction training, and capacity-building on solid waste management and the Extended Producers Responsibility or EPR Act of 2022.

To ensure the safe access to essential infrastructure such as bridge slope protection, drainage and flood control, the Restoration and Maintenance of Waterways Project for Rodriguez has also been launched. Through the Pledge of Partnership signed by the Montalban Aggregates Producers Association, Olympia Violago Water Power, Inc., the project is seen to aid Rodriguez on restored waterways to prevent flooding in low-lying areas and reduced siltation due to vegetative cover on easement.

Meanwhile, the Nature Trees Preservation for Baras will also be implemented to preserve endemic tree species in Lower Sierra Madre, intensify protection and sustainable management of natural resources, and strengthen partnership among communities, government, and the private sectors. The Project will be implemented by the Energy Development Corporation and University of Rizal System.

Moreover, the Greenhouse Gas Accounting will be implemented for Antipolo City by the University of Rizal System, Prime Infrastructure Capital, Inc., and Energy Development Corporation while the Rainforest Connect initiative in Mt. Irid, Barangay San Ines, Tanay will be executed by PLDT, Inc. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.