DENR allocates P3.5 million for Cotabato seeds facility

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is funding the construction of a P3.5-million clonal facility in Cotabato for the production of high quality seeds for its National Greening Program.

In a statement, the DENR said plans for the establishment of the clonal facility at the University of Southern Mindanao is in the final stage.

DENR-Region 12 executive director Adeluisa G. Siapno said the memorandum of agreement on the partnership has already been signed by USM president Dr. Jesus Antonio Derije and forwarded to DENR Secretary Ramon Paje for signature.

“The clonal facility will have state-of-art technologies as the primary intention is to produce high quality seedlings for planting under the National Greening Program. And to ensure high survival rate, the seedlings that will be produced in the clonal facility will come from superior indigenous forest tree species such as lauan, molave, and tanguile,” Siapno explained.

Aside from the monetary support, the DENR has also committed under the agreement to extend technical assistance to USM, particularly on the scientific approach to clonal nursery operation.

“We will not only provide funding support, but we will also capacitate our counterparts and transfer the appropriate technology to them,” Siapno said.

Derije welcomed the partnership.

“In the past, our participation in the reforestation program of the DENR was very minimal, hence, a sense of ownership was never felt”, he said.

He said he would mobilize the students enrolled under the National Service Training Program (NSTP) to assist in all the activities related to the greening program.

The agreement provides that the university should allocate an area for the clonal nursery.

Quality seedlings would be cloned for distribution to beneficiaries identified by the DENR field offices in the region.