DENR-Eastern Visayas chosen as pilot site for greening program

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THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office in Eastern Visayas has been selected as pilot site for 2012’s implementation under the National Greening Program (NGP).

DENR Regional Public Affairs Officer Purificacion Daloos said this recognition was made after the region exceeded its targeted number of hectares with tree seedlings planted since it was launched last year.

“Eastern Visayas was able to produce 4,052,500 seedlings for production and 8,105 hectares for planting with indigenous tree species,” Daloos said.

“We actually hit more than 100 percent because of our partners such as schools, non-government organizations, National Government agencies and local government units that held tree planting activities,” Daloos added.

It was learned that DENR’s accomplishment resulted from the agency’s social mobilization strategy, where various partners from different sectors were made to plant trees under the greening program. The convergence initiative of the Environment, Agriculture and Agrarian Reform departments posted an accomplishment of 83 percent by producing 70,000 seedlings out of the target of 84,000 seedlings.

As an offshoot of the region’s accomplishment last year, DENR-Eastern Visayas was given a higher target of 12,365 hectares to be planted with trees.

“We seek the cooperation of the general public in attaining this target. If we have made it last year, we hope to achieve this year’s target by planting more open and denuded forestlands in the region,” Daloos said.

Daloos added that the NGP aims to post a minimum survival rate of 80 percent for the seedlings by tapping science and sound upland practices, and confining indentified NGP planting sites in areas where there are communities who will be tapped to maintain and ensure growth of planted seedlings.

The NGP seeks to harmonize all greening efforts in the country and aims to plant 1.5 billion tree seedlings on 1.5 million hectares of land nationwide from 2011 to 2016. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)