CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here has partnered with private companies to strengthen forest rehabilitation efforts in Doña Remedios Trinidad (DRT), Bulacan.
The DENR, through its Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Baliwag, recently signed three Memoranda of Agreement (MOA) with Eagle Cement Corporation (ECC) and Solid North Mineral Corporation (SNMC) for the adoption of a total of 281 hectares of National Greening Program (NGP) plantation sites in Barangay Kalawakan.
Under the agreements, ECC will adopt an 11-hectare site in Sitio Catampacan, while SNMC will adopt 270 hectares in Sitios Tubigan and Calumpit.
CENRO Baliwag head Dennis Vergara said the private partners will provide financial and technical support for the rehabilitation and management of the adopted areas, including planting, maintenance, protection, monitoring, and replanting when the survival rate falls below the prescribed 85% threshold.
The DENR, for its part, will provide technical assistance, prepare plantation development plans, and conduct monitoring and evaluation to help ensure the proper implementation and management of the adopted sites.
DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo said the partnership will help mobilize additional resources and technical expertise needed to strengthen forest rehabilitation efforts.
“Forest rehabilitation is a shared responsibility. Through partnerships such as this, we can bring together the technical expertise and resources of government and the private sector toward a common goal of restoring degraded areas and ensuring that our forests remain healthy, productive, and protected for future generations,” Pablo said.
Meanwhile, PENRO Bulacan Rolly Mulato emphasized that the agreements mark a long-term commitment to protect and manage the adopted areas.
“The signing of these MOAs is not simply about planting trees. It is about making a long-term commitment to nurture, protect, and manage these areas.
Together with our private partners and other stakeholders, we will work to ensure that the plantations are properly maintained and that today’s investments contribute to healthier forests in the years to come,” Mulato said.
The partnership supports the objectives of the NGP to increase forest cover and contribute to climate change mitigation, biodiversity conservation, environmental stability, and sustainable development. (UnliNews Online)
