BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—The provincial government here has increased its greening efforts and activities in a bid to improve Nueva Ecija’s forest cover.
Errol Egoy, environmental management specialist of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, said they have targeted to raise the province’s forest cover by three percent, boost waste diversion by 55 percent, and the monitoring and regulation of sand and gravel operations by 100 percent.
As of November, Egoy said the Penro has established 326.55 hectares for upland and urban forest, 163.46 hectares for upland agro-forestry, and 30.50 hectares for upland rural development, with an aggregate of 521.51 hectares under their Watershed Management Program.
“This also serves as our localized support and contribution to the national government’s National Greening Project,” he said.
Penro also established 223 hectares of bamboo plantations out of the 400 hectares targeted inside the Lower Magat Eco-Tourism Park in Diadi town, including the production of 90,452 assorted forest and fruit tree seedlings. About 13,667 of these have been distributed to partner stakeholders, who also planted 630 Yakal seedlings during the Sierra Madre Day celebration.
Egoy said his office is also lending technical and financial assistance to local government units in upgrading their Material Recovery and Vermi Composting Facilities, updating of their Municipal Solid Waste Management Plans, and conducted various activities in celebration of Earth Day under their Environment Management Program.
“Our Mineral Resources Management Program implementation also resulted in the approval of 38 quarry sites and issuance of sand and gravel permits to 415 operators, thereby contributing to the collection of P18 million in taxes by the provincial government,” he said.
Through their Technical Support Services Program, Egoy said they have also facilitated the conduct of activities for the celebration of Environment Month, facilitated the Environment Law training to 17 barangays, provided technical assistance to five towns in their data gathering such as community mapping, map interpolation, and profiling.
The Penro, he said also submitted two project proposals for the establishment of bamboo plantations, wild food plants and wildlife in the province.