By Czeriza Valencia (The Philippine
Star) | Updated April 1, 2015 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The Department
of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is rehabilitating 17,000 hectares
of degraded forests in the Calabarzon region this year under the National
Greening Program (NGP).
DENR Calabazon director Reynulfo Juan
said almost half of the programmed area for reforestation is located in Quezon
province.
Since the implementation of the NGP in
2011, around 63,000 hectares in Calabarzon have already been reforested. The
DENR Calabarzon targets to reforest 8,588 hectares in Quezon; 5,337 in Rizal;
3,019 in Laguna; 200 in Batangas; and 20 in Cavite.
Juan said specific sites have already
been identified, as well as the tree species to be planted.
“These areas will be planted with more
than nine million seedlings consisting of indigenous species of forest and
fruit-bearing trees, and mangrove propagules,” he said. “We will also plant
fuel wood such as kakawate, and economically viable plants such as coffee,
cacao, bamboo and rattan.”
In Quezon province, more extension
officers are being recruited to carry out the reforestation program.
“We have the support of 87 extension
officers who are assigned in the Community Environment and Natural Resources
Offices and they will assist NGP site coordinators in establishing new
plantations, maintaining and protecting those already established,” said
provincial environment and natural resources officer Alfredo Palencia.
The National Greening Program (NGP) is
a massive forest rehabilitation program of the government established by virtue
of Executive Order No. 26 issued in Feb. 2011 by President Aquin. It seeks to
grow 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares nationwide within a period of
six years, from 2011 to 2016.
Aside from being a reforestation
initiative, the NGP is also seen as a climate change mitigation strategy as it
seeks to enhance the country’s forest stock to absorb carbon dioxide, which is
largely blamed for global warming.
It is also designed to provide
alternative livelihood activities for marginalized upland and lowland
households by engaging them to help in seedling production and care as well as
in the maintenance of newly-planted trees.
As a convergence initiative among the
Departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform and DENR, half of the targeted
trees to be planted under the program would constitute forest tree species
intended for timber production and protection as well. The other 50 percent
would be composed of agroforestry species.
Areas eligible for rehabilitation
under the program include all lands of the public domain including forestlands,
mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, civil and military
reservation, urban greening areas, as well as inactive and abandoned mine
sites.
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