One Million Trees Program launched

ILOILO CITY , Philippines – The Iloilo provincial government yesterday launched in Alimodian town the One Million Trees Program, an action for re-greening and transformation (ART).

Governor Arthur Defensor, Sr. led the launching rites of the program, which was designed to plant one million trees in one year in the whole province.

One of the components of the program is to put up five district tree nurseries in the province aside from the provincial nurseries at the Maasin Watershed and in Calinog, Iloilo.

Also held during the launching was the inauguration of a tree nursery at Barangay Balabago, also in Alimodian.

"It is important that we could change the trend of climate change and that could be done by planting many trees," said Defensor adding that he placed bigger budget for reforestation program this year.

It is important to bring back the long time commitment to re-forest the province of Iloilo, said Defensor, noting that before he became governor in 1992, the forest cover in the province was only two percent.

He is expecting now that the forest cover will increase after the reforestation program.

Aside from the One Million Trees Program: Action for Regreening and Transformation, the provincial government has also given priority on reforestation of watershed areas.

This will be in line with the program of the DENR under the Project Greening of the national government.