By: DENR Central Luzon
AURORA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has taken another major step toward strengthening environmental protection in Central Luzon with the groundbreaking of two new Protected Area Management Offices (PAMO) in the municipalities of Dinalungan and Dilasag, Aurora.
The simultaneous groundbreaking ceremonies signal the agency’s intensified commitment to improving the management and protection of Aurora’s protected landscapes amid growing environmental challenges and threats to biodiversity.
The first facility will be established within the Simbahan Talagas Protected Landscape in Sitio Inipit, Barangay Simbahan, Dinalungan, occupying 210 square meters of a 1,123-square-meter lot. The second office will rise inside the AMRO River Protected Landscape in Barangay Lawang, Dilasag, utilizing 210 square meters of a 12,100-square-meter property.
According to Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Alfredo Collado, the two buildings are designed to serve as operational centers for protected area personnel while also functioning as venues for meetings, capacity-building programs, environmental education, and stakeholder collaboration.
By: DENR Central Luzon
“These facilities will significantly improve the operational capacity of our protected area personnel and management members, enabling them to better fulfill DENR’s mandate of protecting, conserving, developing, and managing Aurora’s vital forest ecosystems and biodiversity,” Collado said.
DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo highlighted the importance of establishing dedicated offices within protected areas to ensure stronger field presence and more efficient implementation of conservation programs.
“Once completed, these PAMO buildings will provide a more conducive work environment for personnel tasked with biodiversity conservation, forest protection and law enforcement, wildlife monitoring, environmental education, stakeholder coordination, and community-based conservation efforts,” Pablo said.
The ceremonial groundbreaking was attended by RED Pablo, PENRO Collado, Ariel Mendoza, Arvee Vargas, Romner Agustin, protected area superintendents, PAMO members, local officials, and environmental stakeholders.
The project reflects DENR’s continuing push to strengthen protected area governance and preserve Aurora’s rich natural resources for future generations.