CENRO conducts series of tree planting programs

BAGAC, Bataan – The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) located in this upland town is currently carrying out a series of tree planting activities in line with Executive Order No. 26 or the so-called National Greening Program (NGP).

“Ito ay part ng catch-up plan ng office namin. Nagtatanim kami kasi yung mga areas or NGP sites ng 2011, 2012 at 2013 ay mababa na yung survival rate nila, so nag-re- replant kami,’’ said Ms. Eugina Peralta, Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) Coordinator of CENRO.

“Kapag sinabing NGP Site 2011, ito ay nangangahulugan na identified at established na siya in the year 2011. Yung EO 26, under pa ito ng administration ni PNoy which is bound to end this 2016,” Peralta added.

Some areas which were assessed to have had a low survival rate include Brgy. Parang, Brgy. Paysawan and Brgy. Binukawan in Bagac, Brgy. Alas-Asin and Brgy. Sisiman in Mariveles, and Brgy. Nagbalayong in Morong.

“We are doing the tree planting activity every Friday wherein all of the personnel of CENRO- Bagac are required to participate,” said Ms. Manilyn Apellido, Forest Technician II.

“Actually, ang intention talaga ng NGP is to plant trees sa mga areas na vacant. DENR ang nag-identify ng mga sites na tataniman,” Apellido stressed.

The overall in-charge for the project is Ms. Elena America who functions as the CENRO-Bagac NGP Focal Person. The program was contracted out to a specific people’s organization in the area identified for a span of three years and after the term, the project will then be turned-over to DENR most especially those that are untenured.

NGP sites which were part of the catch-up plan were those that have below 85 percent survival rate and the target areas to be planted were located in the towns of Bagac, Morong and Mariveles.

Some of the people’s organization who partnered with the DENR for this project include Alas- Asin CBFM Association, Masagana Association of Morong Bataan, Mariveles Watershed Farmers Association, Ibis North Upland Farmers Association and the Banawang Mamamayan Sagip Kalikasan, Inc.

CENRO-Bagac, headed by Mr. Ariel Mendoza, officer-in- charge, is an arm of the Provincial ENRO that is responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the country’s environment and natural resources specifically forest and grazing lands, mineral resources, and others.

Photos courtesy of Eugina Peralta