By MIKE U. CRISMUNDO
BUTUAN CITY — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is seeking R6 billion from Japan for the government’s renewed efforts to rehabilitate the country’s denuded forests.
One objective of the renewed reforestation program is to reduce population growth in upland communities.
The DENR, through the Office of the Undersecretary for Foreign-Assisted Projects, is finalizing a program of action that will be funded with a R6.027-billion loan from Japan for the reforestation of some 85,000 hectares of denuded forest lands in the next five years.
The House committee on environment and natural resources chaired by Butuan City Rep. Leovigildo "Boy" Banaag is assisting in the preparation of the reforestration program.
Studies show that the population in the uplands would double in 30 years if present trends in population growth remain unchecked. This is aggravated by the continuous lowland-to-upland migration at an annual average rate of 2.8 percent.
DENR researchers said the program, once implemented, is expected to lessen the tremendous pressures exerted by people who migrate to forest areas to seek livelihood opportunities.
A study conducted by the University of the Philippines’ Population Institute (UPPI) disclosed that some 24 million people are living today in upland areas.
"Just imagine what this big number of people can bring to the forest if the migration remains unchecked," said Benjamin T. Tumaliuan, Caraga regional executive director (RED) of DENR.
RED Tumaliuan said the DENR has identified 991,526 hectares as production forest lands, and Agusan del Sur has the biggest area suitable for such purpose. "We are looking forward and will redouble efforts to accomplish this priority program of Secretary (Mike) Defensor," he said.
At present, the DENR has reforested and rehabilitated 4,078.21 hectares, and the rehabilitation effort for about one-half of this area was undertaken through private initiative, mostly by holders of timber license agreements (TLAs) and the integrated forest management agreement (IFMA).
The UPPI study also disclosed that all over the country, there is an aggregate area of 15.6 million hectares of upland areas occupied by illegal settlers with Central Visayas on top of the list with three million people occupying an area of 535,919 hectares. It is followed by Western Visayas with 2.5 million, 613,529 hectares.
Southern Tagalog, Southern Mindanao and Cordillera Administrative Region have 2.2 million each (respectively covering 2.51 million hectares, 1.63 million hectares, and 1.47 million hectares).
Caraga Region has 1.8 million occupying 1.34 million hectares; Bicol Region, 1.8 million, 541,189 hecrares; Cagayan Valley, 1.7 million, 1.7 million hectares; Eastern Visayas, 1.7 million, 1.11 million hectares; Central Luzon 1.3 million, 771,771 hectares; Northern Mindanao, 1.2 million, 746,193 hecatare, ARMM, 1.2 million, 618, 002 hectares; Western Mindanao, 0.5
