P11M set for ‘greening’ of Kalinga watersheds

TABUK CITY, Kalinga— The Department of Environment and Natural Resources provincial office here has an P11.4 million budgetary allocation for implementation of the national greening program in the province.

According to Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Joseph Insigne, their office has targeted to plant 725,000 trees in six years on 1,480 hectares of lands of the public domain in the province considered to be in critical state because of barren condition.

The national target is 1.5 billion trees to be planted on 1.5 million hectares plantation nationwide over a period of six years.

Gov.JocelBaac directed concerned agencies during the regular Kapihan forum to coordinate and pool their resources in mapping out areas to be planted in order not to just plant anywhere so that their efforts in actively participating in the program will not be in vain.

As the lead agency of the program, he asked DENR to also consult municipal planners of their land use plans to concentrate planting activities in one area.

Kalinga-Apayao State College President Eduardo Bagtang recommended during the mapping of planting locations particularly those in the barangays for the long-term sustainability of the program so that the program will achieve its purpose of bringing back the greenery of the watersheds and forests in the different parts of the province.

He urged participating agencies particularly those named in Executive Order No. 26 to establish a common planting area with corresponding maintenance plan so that the planted trees will grow to serve their purpose and that those who will not survive will be immediately replaced for the benefit of the present and future generations.