By DANIEL P. TAPAOAN, JR.

The Tanggol Kalikasan, Inc. (TK) has collaborated with the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) for the establishment of the Institute of Environmental Governance (IEG) in Ilocos Norte. 

The IEG serves as a strategic response to the ever-increasing demand for capacity-building among local government units (LGUs) in the province in promoting environmental governance. 

Composed of levels 1 and 2, the IEG is designed to cater the needs of local officials by training them to manage, plan, protect, and conserve the environment. 

This development partnership was formalized last October 27 through a virtual launching and signing of memorandum of understanding (MOU) between MMSU President Shirley C. Agrupis and TK President Ramon M. Grimaldo. 

In the MOU, the MMSU and TK have agreed to contribute their resources and expertise in the pursuit of environmental education in the locality. 

In the event, Dr. Agrupis thanked the agency for partnering with the university “in upgrading the quality of life in the province through environmental education.”

As the host institution in Ilocos Norte, the MMSU will provide the venue, office space and other physical requirements of the IEG. It shall also lead the development, conduct and implementation of IEG’s research programs in aid of curriculum development, monitoring and evaluation.

Meanwhile, the TK shall provide the initial resources for the development of the institute and fund the development of training modules and other activities of the IEG. 

Both agencies shall assign IEG coordinators and allow their faculty members and staff to participate in the institute’s training programs. 

To craft the policies and programs of the IEG, MMSU and TK shall create its management committee, which will be composed of five individuals. There will be two representatives each from the school and agency while the fifth member shall come from the LGU in Ilocos Norte. 

The TK is a non-profit and non-governmental organization involved in public interest environmental advocacy in the Philippines. It has already partnered with 26 schools across the country for the establishment of IEG in their respective provinces. 

This partnership kicked-off through a webinar series on environmental governance for LGU department heads in Ilocos Norte held from October 27 to November 26. (StratCom)