DENR exceeds seedling production target

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Central Visayas has exceeded their target in seedling production as required under the National Greening Program (NGP).

DENR-Region VII’s data show that the number of seedlings produced for the purpose has already reached 14 percent with a goal of 2.8M seedlings as required under the NGP but as of early September, the available seedlings have reached 3.2M.

“We even exceeded our target,” said DENR-7 Technical Director for Forest Management Services Isabelo Montejo who explained that the convergence services of the regional offices of DENR, Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has made the NGP-Central Visayas surpass its target of seedling production for 2011.

Under Executive Order No. 26, institutionalized NGP which aims to green some 1.5 million hectares of open, denuded and degraded forest land nationwide by 2016, one of the commitments of the DENR, DA and DAR in implementing the NGP is the establishment of nurseries and seedling production nationwide.

In his report on the status of the NGP-Central Visayas, Montejo said they have targeted 5,632 hectares to be planted and that 30 percent of the identified areas or about 1,689 hectares have already been planted with the seedlings produced.

 “Continuous work is still being done for the remaining 70 percent of the targeted areas to be planted,” Montejo said, adding that the strong support from local government units (LGUs) is a success factor in the NGP implementation as the DILG-7 has already issued a directive for barangays to establish their own nurseries.

       He also said the Department of Education, LGUs and non-government organizations will also be producing their own seedlings. (FREEMAN)