TABUK CITY, Kalinga, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) provincial office here has an P11.4 million budgetary allocation for the implementation of the national greening program in the province in order to ensure that identified critical watersheds and forests will be planted with substantial number of trees in the next six years.

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 throughout the province which are considered to be in critical state because of their barren condition.

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

Governor Jocel Baac directed concerned agencies during the regular Kapehan 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 same forum 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 likewise asked 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.

The issue on the need to identify a common panting area is to avoid the same fate of past reforestation activities where each office, agency or group just planted anywhere then leave them. If the trees survive, they are eventually vanished by fire or cut into firewood.

DENR forest rangers are asked to be dispatched on plantations to guard against fire and other forms of destructions. Participating agencies are also directed to perform the task as “watchman” over their own plantation. In the case of schools, their students can do the job.

On the kind of trees to plant, high value commercial fruit trees that would serve on the long run as income-generating projects of the residents are recommended. DENR is asked to propagate fruit bearing trees that are of export quality for profit gains.

Insigne said planters especially those individual and group partners in the barangays are the ones to benefit since they own the project, harvest it, and earn from it. The project can be a permanent source of income if they are seriously maintained, he said.

The national greening program of President Aquino is not just planting trees but is a poverty reduction measure.