Monday, April 25, 2011

Catigbian signs in 78 hectares For nat’l greening program

Tagbilaran City, April 25, (PIA) ---ANOTHER revolt starts here in this town as Catigbian hopes to spread environment management and conservation by committing to reforest 78 hectares of its idle lands in contribution to the National Greening Program (NGP). 

Then a town known for hosting the base of operations for communist rebels, Catigbian has reversed its role and carved a niche as one of Bohol’s leading towns in innovative governance.

According to Ma. Nila Tapales, town information officer, Catigbian signed the Letter of Agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for its implementation of the NGP, Wednesday April 20, 2011 at the Mayor’s Office.

Town mayor Roberto Salinas signed the agreement while representing the town and as chief implementor of the project while Eusalem S. Quiwag represented the DENR-CENRO Tagbilaran City along with Leonardo T. Elle, forest management system chief and NGP focal person.

The formalization by signing the Letter of Agreement, allows the town to get a financial assistance of P 191,700.00 as national government’s fund support for the local NGP implementation.

Tapales said the program would be implemented locally in Catigbian starting this month until July.

The National Greening Program aims to plant all over the country some 1.5 B trees covering about 1.5 M hectares for a period of six years, beginning 2011 to 2016.

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III has signed Executive Order No. 26 which has unified and harmonized all greening efforts in the country in the spirit of convergence.

The harmonization is consistent with the country’s primary goal of poverty alleviation, resource conservation and protection, productivity enhancement as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation, the EO states.

Terms of the LOI says that Catigbian is tasked to produce 11,600 assorted fruit trees seedlings for the 58 hectares and 7,500 forest trees for another 15 hectares in the town, said Tapales.

Identified barangays for the fruit trees greening are Haguilanan (10 has.), Sinakayanan (10 has), Ambuan (8 has), Mahayag Norte (10 has), Cambailan (10 has) and Hagbuaya (10 has).

For forest trees, Barangay Triple Union has already 15 hectares identified for forests trees.

Catigbian has already an existing Municipal Ordinance on Fruit Bearing Tree Planting Program in which it requires all graduating elementary and secondary students in the municipality to plant at least 5 fruit bearing trees as pre-requisite for graduation.

The program started in the year 2008 and around 20,000 trees have been planted since its implementation.

This year, students, in coordination with DepEd are tasked to largely help in the local tree planting activity. (Rey Anthony Chiu)

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