DENR Region XI

A total of 286 thousand tree planters coming from various sectors in Region-XI will plant some 1.4 million trees in the region in line with the “Trees for Life Project” of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Office here.

The tree planters will troop to Barangay Culian, Mati Davao Oriental for the launching of the “Trees for Life Project” under the Protected Area and Critical Watershed (Ecosystem) thematic site. Protected areas are the identified portions of land and water set aside for their physical and biological significance, and managed to enhance biological diversity and protected against destructive human exploitation.

Regional Executive Director Ricardo L Calderon of DENR-XI disclosed that out to the total 1.4 million trees to be planted, 537,863 will be planted within the 874 hectares of land under the protected areas and critical watershed. A total of 79,629 mangrove propagules and tree seedlings will be planted in coastal and mangrove areas covering 7.80 hectares; 782,875 seedlings for agro-forestry areas covering 7.80 hectares; and 38,364 seedlings for urban parks, green campuses , camps and subdivisions.

Calderon said that social mobilization strategies are being used to enjoin various sectors in the planting and nurturing of the 1.4 million trees that will be planted. To date, there are already 112 Memorandum of Agreements (MOAs) signed by the stakeholders of the project coming from the peoples organizations, academe, business as well as the private sectors. The MOAs explicitly spell out the tasks of the stakeholders such as organizing of groups who will participate during the actual planting activity; conducting maintenance and protection including replanting and ring weeding every quarter; installing of tree guards for every tree planted and putting up of billboards indicating the name of the organization as the planter or the adopter. The DENR, on the other hand, will provide the planting materials and the necessary technical guidance.

The Trees for Life Project is in line with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo”s “Green Philippines Program” which aims to mitigate climate change, ensure water supply security, conserve biodiversity, establish agroforestry, provide livelihood opportunity, sustain supply of forest-based raw materials and production of alternative source of fuels (Bing Sison-DENRXI)