The DILG regional office in Caraga is welcoming the Institute of Environmental Governance (IEG), which was recently launched at the Father Saturnino Urios University (FSUU) in cooperation with Tanggol Kalikasan, a Public Interest Environmental Law Office, as its new partner in capacitating local government officials to carry out environmental laws and directives.

In her message during IEG’s launch recently, Famacion said that the DILG as an enabler for service-providers like FSUU believes the partnership and teamwork of stakeholders, including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) like Tanggol Kalikasan, will set the paradigm of a holistic approach in addressing environmental concerns in the region.

“The establishment of IEG will supplement our capacity development (CapDev) programs in areas where we don’t have mastery like the adjudication of environmental laws and its remedies, such as the Writ of Kalikasan and the Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP),” said Famacion.

The DILG also shared the region’s current status on the implementation of environmental interventions together with partners, donors and other stakeholders, and promised to highly recommend to the Local Government Academy (LGA) that future CapDev activities will be tied up with IEG.

IEG’s goal is to effect sustainable development and capacitate local government officials in the execution of environmental laws in response to the ever-increasing demand for capacity building of Local Government Units.

The Institute will cater three levels: Level One (I) shall be designed to serve the needs of Barangay Officials; Level Two (II) will cater to the needs of Municipal, City and Provincial Officials; and Level Three (III) will cater to Judges, Prosecutors and Selected National Government Agencies. At present, Father Saturnino Urios University will host IEG Level One (I) for the Barangay Officials in Butuan City and nearby provinces. - Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa

DILG Central News Archive DILG Regional News Archive