In celebration of World Environmental Health Day 2024 carrying the theme “Environmental Health: Creating Resilient Communities through Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Mitigation and Adaptation,” the Environmental Management Bureau – Cordillera Administrative Region (EMB-CAR) gathered government agencies, private institutions, and academic partners for the Forum of Adopters in CAR cum MOA Signing and Renewal of Adopters at Newtown Plaza Hotel, Baguio City.
Representing the College President Dr. Edgar G. Cue, Dr. Epiphania B. Magwilang, Vice President for Research, Development, and Extension, signed the Memorandum of Agreement on behalf of the Mountain Province Polytechnic College (MPSPC). She was joined by Dr. Arel B. Sia-ed, Campus Executive Dean of Bontoc Campus, and Mr. Mike Allidem, Director of the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
Through this MOA, the Bontoc, Tadian, and Paracelis Campuses were formally recognized as among the eight new adopters of EMB-CAR’s Adopt-an-Estero / Water Body Program, a flagship initiative promoting water-body rehabilitation, pollution control, and community-based climate resilience across the region.
A key component of the forum was the planning session for the Adopt-an-Estero Program, where adopters, including MPSPC’s delegation, collaborated with EMB-CAR officers to outline strategies for sustainable implementation. Discussions centered on monitoring mechanisms, stakeholder coordination, community engagement, and education campaigns that advance disaster-risk reduction and climate-change adaptation in local settings.
Participants also attended a series of technical lectures on critical environmental regulations, such as Republic Act 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act), Republic Act 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), and the guidelines on discharge permits, environmental compliance certificates, and environmental impact assessments. These sessions equipped adopters with updated knowledge to strengthen environmental governance and compliance across institutions and communities.
MPSPC’s active participation in the Forum of Adopters underscores its continuing commitment to Sustainable Development Goal 13 (Climate Action), integrating climate education, environmental management, and collaborative governance in its research, extension, and instruction mandates.
By partnering with EMB-CAR and other regional stakeholders, MPSPC contributes to co-operative planning for climate resilience, reinforcing its mission to cultivate environmentally responsible citizens and sustainable highland communities throughout the Mountain Province.
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