BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera is close to achieving its 2015 National Greening Program (NGP) target making it the best performer across the country. This is based on the recent report of the National Coordinator of the NGP, Director Ricardo Calderon from the Forest Management Bureau of the DENR.
As of September 14, 2015 the region, under all components of the NGP, has already accomplished 89% or has already covered 15,786 of its 17,746 target areas with a total of 9,311,990 seedlings planted.
Under the regular NGP which is funded in accordance with the National Expenditure Program (NEP), the DENR-CAR has already planted an aggregate area of 13,568 hectares of land or 92.56% of its target which is 14,658 hectares.
Abra is the best performer so far this year with 99% accomplishment rate which translates to7,259 hectares already planted with various species of seedlings out of its 7,332 hectare target. Meanwhile, other provinces are also on track with more than 80% accomplishment rates.
The targets for the other provinces are as follows: 2,959 hectares for Benguet; 1,349 hectares for Apayao; 1,210 hectares for Kalinga; 951 hectares for Mountain Province; and 857 hectares for Ifugao.
Thus far, Benguet has accomplished 2,632 hectares or 88.95%; Apayao has planted 1,177 hectares or 87.25%; Mt. Province has covered 821 hectares or 86.33%; Ifugao has planted areas covering 700 hectares or 81.68%; and Kalinga has achieved 979 hectares or 80.91%.
In addition, 2,219 hectares of plantations have already been planted with different tree species in provinces of Abra, Kalinga, and Mt. Province under the supplemental or mechanized NGP which is funded under the DENR-Central Office-based fund. As many as 7,093,125 seedlings of various tree species have been planted in the different NGP sites by the DENR-CAR regional and field offices and other partner government agencies, non-government and peoples’ organizations.
This year alone, the region has also produced 7,984,574 seedlings under the regular NGP and additional 2,218,865 seedlings under the supplemental NGP.
Since NGP’s inception in 2011, a total of 74,574 hectares has already been planted in the Cordillera or 98.75% of its target of 75,521 hectares. The high percentage is attributed to the 100%, or even more, accomplishment rates in the region for the past four years.
The DENR-CAR, along with its partners from the public and private sector continue to converge and undertake their reforestation efforts in line with the NGP. With a year left for its implementation, the stakeholders in the Cordilleras are more dedicated to participate in the project, taking advantage of the support from the government.
This as they aim not only for a greener and more resilient environment, but also to sustain the Cordilleras as the watershed cradle of the North and to have sustainable lives out of the endowed resources in this mountain region.
By Abner Villanueva
