March 10, 2009 08:03 PM Tuesday [ journal.com.ph ]
Some 43,609 hectares of open and denuded areas needing immediate rehabilitation were reforested by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last year, exceeding its 2007 record of 27,838 hectares by 55 percent.
DENR Secretary Lito Atienza attributed the increase to the full implementation of an order by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to intensify the reforestation activities in the country, especially in important river basins that are critical to the water supply of irrigation systems feeding agricultural plains like the Pampanga River Basin, Bicol River Basin, Cagayan River Basin and the Laoag River Basin.
“The President’s order ushered in the mobilization of the various sectors of society to take part in planting and nurturing of trees to address the country’s food security concerns and demonstrate our response as a people to daunting challenge of global warming,” Atienza said.
Around 27,752 hectares were reforested under the DENR’s regular reforestation activities while an additional 15,857 hectares were reforested with the help from the private sector, with the civil society contributing the biggest share at 14,746 hectares while the holders of DENR issued tenurial instruments such as timber licenses and industrial forest management agreements had reforested some 1,111 hectares, in compliance with their contracts
“Our reforestation accomplishment has much to be desired and this should only give us more resolve to double our efforts this 2009, especially in our reforestation efforts which has also been tapped by President Arroyo as a strategy to generate employment in the countryside to cushion the impact of the current global economic downturn,” Atienza added.
Relative to this, Atienza expressed optimism in the appointment of Marlo Mendoza as the new director of the Forest Management Bureau. Atienza personally handpicked Mendoza, a forester and a consultant of Bantay Kalikasan of the ABS-CBN Foundation, to spearhead the implementation of the DENR’s Upland Development Program, that would involved around 52,000 upland families in massive reforestation activities of the department.
From a low of 8,838 hectares in 2007, the DENR managed to triple its performance last year at 27,752 hectares in the agency’s regular reforestation activities. These were conducted in areas not covered by any tenurial instruments.
He also added that the participation of the civil society in the tree planting program of the DENR resulted in the regreening of some 14,746 hectares, the biggest share from the private sector. Holders of DENR-issued tenurial instruments such as timber licenses and industrial forest management agreements (IFMA) accounted for some 1,111 hectares, in compliance with their contracts to reforest denuded areas found inside their concession areas.
The reforestation of important river basins, on the other hand, takes the biggest share, accounting for some 21,312 hectares, with 5,530 hectares within areas covered by the Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) Program. CBFM is a reforestation scheme adopted by the DENR granting upland families to conduct forestry-based livelihood activities inside forest lands, on a 25-year cycle, on condition that the beneficiaries restore the forest cover of denuded areas found within their respective CBFM areas.
Rehabilitation of mangrove areas contributed 1,236 hectares while a total of 2.1 hectares where reforested in urban areas, mostly located in public parks.
The Bicol region led the list with 9,659 hectares (has.) followed by regions 3, 12 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (7, 154; 4,537; and 4,257 has., respectively).
The accomplishments of other regions are as follows: Regions 13 (3,418 has.), 7 (2,524 has.), 1 (2,394 has.), 6 (1,911 has.), 4A (1,790 has.), 4B (1,219 has.), 11 (1,067 has.), 8 (980 has.), 2 (933 has.), 9 (917 has.), 11 (750 has.) and National Capital Region (98 has.).
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