“Not just words—turn environmental responsibility into action,”BM Lammawin urges iKalingas

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Protecting Kalinga’s environment should go beyond words and commitments and be translated into concrete and sustained action, Board Member Camilo T. Lammawin Jr. said during the launching of the province’s first province-wide Season of Creation on Monday, September 7, at the Kalinga Sports Complex.

The month-long observance was institutionalized through Provincial Ordinance No. 2025-027, authored and sponsored by Lammawin, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Energy.

The initiative seeks to raise public awareness of sustainable living, climate change mitigation, and community-driven environmental stewardship.

In his message, Lammawin emphasized that protecting Kalinga’s forests, rivers, wildlife, and other natural resources is a shared responsibility that requires the participation of government, communities, institutions, and residents.

He said the Season of Creation provides an opportunity for provincial and municipal governments, national agencies, institutions, communities, and every iKalinga to work together and turn environmental concern into meaningful action.

“Through this initiative, we encourage our provincial and municipal governments, national agencies, institutions, communities, and every iKalinga to work together and turn environmental responsibility into practical and sustained action,” Lammawin said.

More than public servants, they are environmental stewards

Lammawin also reminded government workers that their responsibility to the environment extends beyond their regular duties.

He urged them to see themselves not only as public servants but also as stewards of Kalinga’s land and natural resources.

“This is a special moment for our province as we come together, not only as public servants, but as stewards of our land, forests, rivers, wildlife, and natural resources,” he said.

Putting environmental protection into policy

Lammawin’s call for concrete action is also reflected in his legislative work at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, particularly his push for stronger protection of Kalinga’s watersheds.

As committee chairperson, he sponsored a proposed ordinance seeking to establish a Provincial Watershed Management Council that would bring government offices and other sectors together in managing and protecting the province’s watersheds, forests, water sources, and related ecosystems.

The proposed measure also calls for the preparation of a Provincial Integrated Watershed Management Plan to guide the protection, rehabilitation, and sustainable management of Kalinga’s watersheds.

It seeks to address activities that may harm watershed areas, including illegal logging, kaingin, illegal quarrying and mining, improper waste disposal, water pollution, and the destruction of riverbanks and wildlife habitats.

The proposed ordinance remains under deliberation by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

As Kalinga begins its first province-wide Season of Creation, Lammawin stressed that the success of the initiative will ultimately depend not on the commitments made during its launching, but on the consistent actions taken afterward to protect the environment for generations to come.