Home> 18th SEP awarding

Building forest infrastructure for the future

Alex S. Marcaida

Gov. Baham Mitra, EU Amb. Guy Ledoux and Atty. David Ponce de Leon Unveiling the PalTREES Green Map showing the proposed planting sites.

(... Continuation ) “This way Palawenos may enjoy additional shade brought about by large expanse of forest tree canopies, security buffer against floods, boosting shelters for wildlife, securing lowland agricultural productivity, building corridors of forest as carbon sink, and possible source for lumber and groundwater needs of Palawenos” says Gov. Abraham Kahlil B. Mitra during the launching ceremonies, in June 25, 2011 at Puerto Princesa City. Gov. Mitra, Chairman of the PCSD, led the more than 700 Palawenos planting the first thousand trees of the PalTREES.

The PalTREES (Palawan Trees for the Restoration of the Ecology, Economy and the Society) intends to plant native species like narra, ipil, and commercial trees like rubber tree, almaciga, fruits like mango, santol, etc... and crops like cashew, coffee, shall flourish in about 6,500 has. in the next six years. This is laid in the “PalTREES Green Map” unveiled during the launching program, detailing the proposed refo-sites in every municipality of Palawan. The map indicates a total of 133,000 has. available public sites illustrated by municipality. This will serve as target guide to LGUs in pursuing the greening program.

Gov. Baham Mitra with son Jaime and EU Amb. Guy Ledoux, together in planting the seedling.

PalTREES is Palawan’s response to President PNoys’ national greening program, apart from the PCSD’s continuing commitment to pursue its’ mandate under the SEP law that upholds to keep the forest ecosystem of Palawan alive.

EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux, who graced the launching ceremony was highly impressed. “Our investment in Palawan was well spent. The dramatic decrease in the forest loss explains that Palawan leaders did it’s assignment. When we first started supporting Palawan in 1979 thru the Integrated environmental program that gave birth to the SEP Law, the forest loss then was about 19,000 has. per year, but when the SEP law was legitimized in 1992, satellite imagery revealed that forest loss dramatically dropped to only 5,500 has. per year (1992-2005). This is truly a remarkable accomplishment” says Ledoux.

The PalTREES will hopefully push the button for Palawan to reverse the trend and register a positive increase in it’s forest cover. PCSD records show that Palawan remains to have the largest forest cover in the Philippines, representing about 11.3% of the country’s total for¬est cover. Palawan still has 666,338 has., representing about 46% of its total land area that exceeds the regional forest covers of the 15 regions recorded for the 17 regions in the country not to mention the prov¬ince’s 58,000 has. of mangrove forest representing 38% or one-third span in the entire country. The additional 6,000 has. or 10million growing trees target of PalTREES will usher beyond the 50% mark of Palawan’s forest expanse.

DENR USec. Manuel Gerochi on his part lauded the PCSD and the rest of the organizing team of PalTREES, as this program is Palawan’s translation on ground of Pres. Noynoy’s National Greening Program. “Palawan maybe contributing negligibly in the global warming problem , pegged at about only 0.2%, but as a carbon sink, Palawan is a big help, Palawan will offer more with this PalTREES”.

Atty. David A. Ponce de Leon, Vice Chair of the PCSD, emphasized that the program is not a one-day stint but shall be implemented year-round. Communities or households can participate and can contribute by planting at their backyards. It is both a reforestation program and an IEC strategy to continuously heighten people’s environmental awareness on the value of forestation in their lives.

Jubilant participants to PalTREES, ready to plant

PalTREES is a continuing “bayanihan” action of the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), the Provincial Government of Palawan, DENR and about 35 major keyplayers from the LGUs, GA’s, NGOs, mining companies, resort owners, military, business, private service groups, academe, and the communities.