THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Forest Management Bureau (DENR-FMB) is moving to equip Cagayan Valley with a near-real-time forest disturbance alert system aimed at detecting threats to forests and biodiversity faster than current monitoring methods allow.
The system will be developed under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Technical Cooperation Program in partnership with DENR-FMB. Its core function is to provide timely information on forest changes and potential threats so that field verification and response by DENR can be accelerated.
A key feature of the project is its planned integration with the Lawin Forest and Biodiversity Protection System. Lawin is the agency’s existing platform for monitoring and reporting incidents and activities affecting forests and biodiversity. By linking the new alert system to Lawin, data generated from remote detection can be routed directly into the agency’s current reporting and field deployment workflow.
The four-year project will build on earlier DENR and JICA initiatives for forest management and rehabilitation, including the Forestland Management Project (FMP).
FMP has focused on community-based forest protection and the development of forest-based livelihoods in upland areas.
To prepare for rollout, representatives from JICA and DENR conducted field validation in potential pilot areas in Nueva Vizcaya.
The sites visited included FMP areas in the Upper-Matuno Subwatershed and Santa Cruz-Cabanglasan Subwatershed in the upland town of Kayapa, and a local conservation area in Mabuslo, Bambang.
The validation was intended to assess site conditions and determine where the alert system can be tested first.
DENR Region 2 Executive Director Ismael Manaligod said the FMP contributed to strengthening community capacity in forest protection and management, as well as in generating livelihoods from forest resources.
Manaligod said continued protection of forest resources and expanded cooperation with institutions such as JICA are needed for long-term forest management.
Technically, a near-real-time alert system relies on satellite imagery, remote sensing data, and automated analysis to flag disturbances such as land clearing, illegal logging, and other changes in forest cover. Once an alert is triggered, the information is expected to be sent to DENR offices and Lawin field teams to support faster ground verification.
By connecting new detection capabilities to Lawin, the DENR aims to shorten the time between when a disturbance occurs and when it is recorded and acted upon. The approach combines satellite-based monitoring with the agency’s existing network of forest guards and community partners who conduct field validation.
The pilot in Nueva Vizcaya will test how the alerts perform across different terrain and land-use types in Cagayan Valley before possible expansion to other provinces in the region.
Officials said the system is designed to support both biodiversity protection and sustainable forest management by giving managers earlier warning of activity in priority conservation and rehabilitation areas.