Region 7 ranks second in NGP survival rate

CEBU, Philippines - The National Greening Program plantations in Central Visayas posted the second highest survival rate nationwide.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-7 executive director Isabelo Montejo said that the region registered an 82 percent survival rate.

Montejo said that the high rate could be attributed to the strong support of people’s organizations and local government units.

Montejo said that the proximity of available seedlings to the planting site and aggressive regular monitoring and maintenance programs were also factors that help in achieving the high survival rate.

He said the region’s standing in terms of survival rate of seedlings planted in 2011 and 2012 is about 81.49 percent based on the validation conducted by the Forest Management Services.

NGP seeks to improve water quality in rivers and irrigation for farm lands, reduce the potential for flooding, soak up carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and lay the foundation for an expanded wood-products economy.

President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order 26 on February 24, 2011 establishing the NGP not only to reforest 1.5 million hectares of land but also to promote a sustained environmental awareness campaign in the face of the deleterious effects of climate change.

NGP aims to grow about 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares nationwide within a six-year period from 2011 to 2016.

NGP is one of DENR-7’s priority programs this year which is consistent with the Philippine Development Plan of the current administration.

NGP remains at the top spot among the seven priority programs aimed to pursue a massive forest rehabilitation and reconstruction.

The other six priority programs include anti-illegal logging campaign, cadastral survey, “adopt an estero” program, clean air and water, geo-hazard mapping and assessment, and patent issuance. — (FREEMAN)