BONGABON, Nueva Ecija—The Central Luzon Media-Citizen Council (CLMCC) and the Central Luzon Media Association (CLMA) launched on Saturday here the “Save Sierra Madre, Save Lives, Save the Future” photo exhibit competition that aims to raise public awareness on the need for a concerted effort to help protect the Sierra Madre mountain ranges from devastation. Mel Ciriaco, from Nueva Ecija and one of the Immediate Past Presidents of the CLMA-Region 3 led a tree planting activity at the foot of the Sierra Madre mountain in Barangay Labi in this town before the official kick-off of the project. Central Luzon and adjacent regions have been very blessed because of the protection endowed by the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, the CLMCC and the CLMA said in a statement. In the most recent typhoons in 2024 and in the previous years, the bulk and the peaks of the pristine Sierra Madre that spans the whole Luzon Island had protected and saved residents from the whips of catastrophes. Ironically, this very own nature everyone in the region nest as sanctuary, particularly the indigenous people is preyed on by forces, and now faces high risk of devastation. Its forest while shielding the regions from calamities is being denuded and which has been the cause of flash floods and major flooding in the downstream provinces, towns and cities scoring lives, destroying properties and leaving us with an overall economic turmoil due primarily to agricultural and infrastructural damages, the statement also said. “As Central Luzon journalists, not only through the might of our pen that we can advocate on the plight to save and protect Sierra Madre. Through “Save Sierra Madre, Save Lives, Save the Future” Photo Exhibit/Competition, we, the Central Luzon Media-Citizen Council (CLMCC) and the Central Luzon Media Association (CLMA) reinforce a strong campaign for public’s awareness of the needed protection and preservation of our sacred nature, God’s constant reminder of His love to mankind,” the statement further stated. The project, according to Carmela Reyes-Estrope, also aims to generate funds for the much-needed upliftment of the professional and accountability capabilities, including the social welfare needs of the media members of the CLMCC and the CLMA including other media people in the region. CLMCC together with other media-citizen councils in different regions and provinces in the country were established in 2022 through the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) and the International Media Support (IMS). The Media-Citizen Council is aimed to serve as a mediation and conciliation table between media members who are subjects of libel and cyberlibel complaints and the complaining aggrieved parties against their news articles and reports. Led by Atty. Jo Clemente of Tarlac Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) as CLMCC Chairman of the Board, other key officers of the councils have underwent a one week training for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) by the Office of the ADR of the Department of Justice in July last year. The council has as staple members other than the media the legal, who are members of the IBP, business, academe, youth and church and as primary partners, the local government units, the police and the military and other key sectors. Deng Pangilinan, current president of CLMA Region 3 said the photo competition runs from March 1-June 30, 2025 and is open to all amateur and professional, media and non-media members including students using DSLR, manual or mirrorless camera. Submission of entries is on July 16-30. The pre-selected winning entries will be displayed in a two-week exhibit from August 16-31 at SM San Fernando. Awarding will be on August 31 at SAM SSAN Fernando. First prize winner will receive P50,000, second prize P40,000, third prize P30,000, fourth prize P20,000 and fifth prize P10,000 and trophy. All media members except the organizing committees are disqualified from joining the competition. Caesar “Bong” Lacson, founding proponent of CLMA said the winning entries will also be featured in similar exhibits in other SM malls in Central and Northern Luzon where Sierra Madre mountain ranges also span. All interested parties are required to like and follow the social media pages of CLMA and CLMCC to also see the regular updates about the photo exhibit and competition and other activities of the groups.      

  Bases Conversion and Development Authority officials, including President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang, Chairman Hilario B. Paredes, Director Gerard R. Seno, Director Anthony Marvin G. Ponce De Leon, and John Hay Management Corp. President and CEO Marlo Ignacio V. Quadra meet with officials of Korea Water Resources Corp., including its President Yoon Seok-dae and Vice President Seong Yong Han. Leveraging South Korea’s expertise in sustainable water management, a delegation from the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) recently visited Korea Water Resources Corp. (K-Water) in Hwaseong, South Korea, with the goal of replicating the company’s advanced water management systems in its properties in the Philippines. The delegation, led by BCDA Chairperson Atty. Hilario B. Paredes and President and CEO Joshua M. Bingcang, toured K-Water’s state-of-the-art facilities for a benchmarking activity, gaining insights on the company’s smart water infrastructure, as well as best practices in water management and sewage monitoring. The visit is in line with the BCDA’s goal to establish a holistic active conservation approach in the water resource management of New Clark City in Tarlac, Camp John Hay in Baguio City, and Poro Point in La Union. This will give way to the adoption of smart and sustainable solutions to address the water supply demand of locators and residents in these areas while reducing water loss, preserving watersheds, and promoting the responsible use of water resources. “As a pioneer in innovative water management solutions, K-Water will play a vital role in shaping the future water infrastructure in the BCDA’s economic zones. This will allow us to integrate smart water technologies in our developments, enabling the BCDA to balance the need of our locators with our duty to preserve the environment,” said BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua M. Bingcang. During the visit, K-water President Yoon Seok-dae reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to assist the BCDA in addressing growing water supply demand through sustainable water management solutions. K-Water, a South Korean government agency specializing in national management of water source development, in July 2024 forged a partnership with the BCDA through the signing of two memoranda of understanding. The company is currently conducting feasibility studies for the development of comprehensive water resource plans in New Clark City, Camp John Hay and Poro Point. This will include proposals to reduce water loss and ensure stable water supply through smart water network management and artificial intelligence-driven water purification plants. Once realized, the project will benefit locators and residents of New Clark City, a modern metropolis envisioned to be the first smart, sustainable, and future-ready development in the country. The project will also provide the water requirements of businesses, tourists, and residents of Camp John Hay while preserving the integrity of the area’s forest watershed, which is known as the “last frontier” of Baguio’s vast forested area. The system will also be replicated in the Poro Point Special Economic and Freeport Zone, a major transport and logistics hub in La Union that has its own airport and international seaport. This initiative is in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, specifically No. 6 Clean Water and Sanitation, No. 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, No. 12 Responsible Consumption and Production, and No. 13 Climate Action.