Department of Environment and Natural Resources Office - Oriental Mindoro

II. Records on file show that a Forest Station was established on July 14, 1946 in Calapan with one personnel headed by the Provincial Forester Rafael Quidilla occupying the residence of Asst. District Forester Wenceslo B. Soriano. Later, during the year, two (2) more personnel were added. On July 29, 1947, the Calapan Forest Station formally became a Provincial Forest District having an administrative jurisdiction of the whole of Mindoro. Then, later on, the three (3) personnel became eleven (11). A Forest Station in Bongabon was established before World War II with varied officer-in-charge: Forester Eufracio Reyes, Forester Leonardo Agcaoili, Forester Reynaldo Labay and Limuel Menorca before the Forest Station was burned. In 1960, District Forester Mariano H. Villanueva was replaced by District Forester Regino Dorain, and then in 1965 to 1966. Asst. District Forester Luis Dacanay took over before District Forester Isidro M. Serantes was assigned as the new head. In 1969, District Forester Isidro M. Serrantes accepted the donated lot of Attorney Erlinda A.I. Espiritu located at Suqui, Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, some three (3) kilometers away from the town proper. Now, Forestry building was constructed on the donated lot and was inaugurated on April 1970 by no less than the Vice President of the Philippines Fernando Lopez under President Ferdinand Marcos as the incumbent President. The Director was Jose Viado and the Regional Director was Emmanuel Elayda. In 1975, the Bureau of Forestry was renamed Bureau of Forest Development, still under the incumbency of Forester Isidro Serrantes who administered the oath of office to 56 personnel. Mr. Pelagio D. Bautista was then the Assistant District Forester. In 1980, another lot was donated by Atty. Erlinda A.I. Espiritu and Special Project - the Mindoro Integrated Rural Development Project (MIRDP) financed the construction of Annex Building formerly occupied by the Technical personnel of the BFD under the incumbency of District Forester Pelagio D. Bautista. In September 16, 1988, the Government Reorganization took place. All positions were considered vacant and new appointments were issued giving way to the creation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The first PENRO was Sofronio A. Andalis. The PENR office located at Suqui, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro was established as mandated under Executive Order No. 192. As defined under the reorganization of the Bureau of Forest Development, Bureau of Lands, Ecosystems Research and Development, Bureau of Mines & Geo Sciences and the Environmental Management Bureau. Under the PENRO Level, the sectoral components comprising it are the Land Mgt. Services, Forest Management Services, ERDS, PAWS, EMS and the Administrative Services. The PENRO has three (3) duly organized Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices. CENRO - Calapan which comprises the municipalities of Calapan, Baco, San Teodoro, Puerto Galera and a portion of the public forest of Naujan. CENRO - Socorro at Pasi, Socorro, Or. Mindoro covers the municipalities of Naujan, Victoria, Socorro, and Bansud. CENRO - Roxas with location at San Mariano, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro has jurisdiction over the municipalities of Bongabong, Roxas, Mansalay and Bullacao at the farthest south. On November 7, 1988, the PENRO and CENROs simultaneously assumed the functions and responsibilities of their respective office and started the mobilization and placement of personnel on skeletal forces, pursuant to the instruction under DENR Special Order No. 191 and 192, dated November 2, 1988 and was further supplemented by Provincial Memorandum Order No. 001-88 dated November 14, 1988 issued by the PENRO for effective guidance of personnel. The Provincial Accounting System including the Budget Unit was fully operating on October 1989. In the year 2000, A&A Realty Development Enterprise Inc. donated 3 lots to DENR - PENRO. RED Vicente S. Paragas of DENR - Region IV - B & PENRO Doterty B. Endangan, together with the staff and personnel of DENR - PENRO, acknowledged with profound gratitude and benevolence of the A&A Realty Development Enterprises, Inc. owned by Arturo & Alicia Arce Ignacio represented by Atty. Erlinda A. I. Espiritu for donating the 3 lots being presently occupied by the PENR office.