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01/22/2012
The Department of National Defense (DND) is planning to allocate some 12,000 hectares from military reservations throughout the country for the establishment of tree nursery sites as part of the government’s National Greening Program (NGP).
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, after successful talks with other government and concerned agencies in the ongoing NGP, revealed this as part of the commitment of the DND to the six-year greening program.
“The Department of National Defense remains steadfast in its commitment to help in the preservation of our environment. This will be our legacy to the succeeding generations of Filipinos,” Gazmin said.
Through Executive Order 26, dated Feb. 24, 2011, President Aquino declared the implementation of the NGP to “consolidate and harmonize all greening efforts” of the national government, local government agencies and all other stakeholders including the private sector.
The NGP aims to plant 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares of land from 2011-2016.
Under the program, the DND was tasked with the establishment of nurseries and seedling production, site preparation, transportation support, and security.
Gazmin tapped Defense Undersecretary for Finance, Munitions, Installations and Materiel Fernando Manalo for the overall management and supervision of the implementation of the NGP for the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The AFP’s Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Civil Military Operations (J7) was appointed as the lead office.
“The National Greening Program is in line with our current efforts to reduce the risk of disasters and the effects of climate change. There is really a need for us to be more vigorous in our campaign, in light of recent disasters,” Gazmin said.
With the implementation of the program, DND and AFP personnel are encouraged to plant a minimum of 10 seedlings per year in identified plantation sites inside military reservations.
Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija, Kibaritan Military Reservation in Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur, Camp Peralta in Capiz, and the Villaviciosa Military Reservation in Abra are some of the sites being considered for the program, among other places.
The DND, in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resorucers and the Department of Agriculture, has also included the propagation of bamboo plantations in the programs to be implemented under the NGP. This led to a partnership with the Philippine Bamboo Foundation.
“This is in support to the national government’s policy to pursue a sustainable development for poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity, conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation,” Gazmin said.