CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-10 highlighted the significant impact of its greening program on both the environment and the local economy.
During the eighth episode of the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum on July 16, DENR-10 Regional Executive Director Henry A. Adornado emphasized the success of the Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP) in improving the environment and uplifting communities across the region since its launch in 2011.
“Since 2011, we have planted almost 116 million seedlings of various commodities, comprising 133,317 hectares. This helped families gain more income from planted commodities such as coffee, fruit trees, cacao, rubber, and timber for harvesting,” he said.
Beyond economic benefits, the program plays a crucial role in environmental protection. “ENGP addresses climate change, ensures the sustainable management of natural resources, and reduces poverty through responsible forest management practices,” Adornado explained. These practices, he added, directly contribute to poverty reduction among underprivileged households in upland and lowland communities, indigenous communities, and those residing in coastal and urban areas.
“For 2022 to 2023, we have 2,105,058 seedlings planted, and 16,765 jobs were generated, employing 9,463 individuals,” he added.
Adornado further said the program has contributed significantly to ecosystem restoration efforts. Over 14,000 hectares of land have been planted with indigenous and mangrove species specifically chosen for their role in safeguarding and restoring ecological health.
In the same Kapihan, Adornado also shed light on another successful DENR program, the Community-Based Forest Management Program (CBFM). This program fosters collaboration between the government and local communities to manage public forestlands. The guiding principles of the CBFM program are social equity, sustainability, and active community participation in forest management and biodiversity conservation efforts.
“Through CBFM, the government empowers local communities,” Adornado explained. “We allocate portions of forestland for development, protection, management, and conservation and further grant them access to utilize forest resources,” he added.
Currently, DENR-10 has 268 active CBFM holders and 27,314 People’s Organization (PO) members. These POs manage 190,381 hectares of forestland, providing a sustainable source of income for their communities. (APB/PIA-10)
