SULTAN KUDARAT (Mindanao Examiner / May 20, 2014) – At least 23 cooperatives and women’s organizations have pledged their support Tuesday on the government’s National Greening Program in Sultan Kudarat province in southern Philippines.
Jerry Dalauta, head of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, said the support was important to the success of the program, which is also being supported by Sultan Kudarat Congressman, Datu Raden Sakaluran and Sultan Kudarat Governor Datu Suharto Mangudadatu, and the local mayors.
Dalauta said the program, launched by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is aimed at rehabilitating forests. As a strategy, it aspires the planting of some 1.5 billion trees in around 1.5 million hectares of public lands for six years, starting 2011 to 2016 and seeks the attainment of sustainable human development, and economic and ecological security.
Aside from being a reforestation initiative, it is also seen as a climate change mitigation strategy as it seeks to enhance the country’s forest stock to absorb carbon dioxide, which is largely blamed for global warming. It is also designed to reduce poverty, providing alternative livelihood activities for marginalized upland and lowland households relating to seedling production and care and maintenance of newly-planted trees, according to the DENR. (Rose Muneza and Deanna Diaz)
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