Environment dep’t explains greening program ‘in detail’

THIS REFERS to Estanislao Albano’s and Tony Leviste’s letters (Opinion, 7/25/16 and 8/1/16, respectively) expressing their dissatisfaction with the National Greening Program (NGP).

For their and the public’s complete understanding of the NGP, we wish to explain in detail.

Formally launched on May 13, 2011, the NGP aimed to plant 1.5 billion seedlings over 1.5 million hectares in six years, primarily for poverty reduction, food security, environmental stability, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Under the program, farmers—considered among the poorest of the poor—have been trained and hired to develop agroforestry plantations that involve timber, fuelwood, coffee, cacao, rubber, bamboo, rattan and fruit-bearing trees, to provide them with permanent livelihood and raise their level of living.

As of Aug. 5, 2016, the NGP had planted 1.08 billion seedlings on a 1.45 million-hectare spread and generated about 3.3 million jobs. By the end of 2016, it would have 1.37 billion planted seedlings on 1.6 million hectares, thus exceeding its overall target of 1.5 million hectares, without exhausting its total allocation of 1.5 billion seedlings.

Admittedly, the NGP’s implementation has not been without challenges, as attested by the Commission on Audit, but these have been addressed.

On the delays in the delivery of seedlings: At the start of implementation in 2011, we did experience delayed deliveries to some planting sites because of the PhilGEPS’ (Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System) requirement on seedlings purchases from commercial nurseries. Beginning 2012, the NGP had allowed community organizations to do seedling production and partnered with state universities and colleges, civil society organizations (CSOs) and other stakeholders in propagating planting materials, especially the endemic species.

Survival of seedlings is an utmost concern; the science of forestry and technology is focused on this. Site characterization is a major requisite to ensure species-site and market matching. The quality of planting materials is continuously enhanced through clonal nurseries and proper sourcing of superior seeds from seed production areas. Likewise, replanting activities are done by the contracting people’s organizations (POs) within three years after planting, without cost to government.

On maintenance, protection and mechanisms to exact accountability, here are some of the NGP’s good governance practices:

• Incorporated in a database, all NGP sites are “geotagged” with geographic coordinates and time stamp to define the exact location of plantations.

• All sites are covered with individual certificate of site development, duly signed and attested by the respective Centros, Penros and regional directors, with pictures taken before and after planting.

• Reports on the conduct of annual 100-percent monitoring of all NGP sites are submitted under oath by the regional offices.

• Funds are directly released to the implementing offices (Penros/Cenros).

• All procurements adhere to the procurement law. Payments to creditors, like POs, are done through Advice to Debit Account (ADA), thus promoting checkless/cashless transaction.

• The National Economic and Development Authority’s Philippine Institute for Development Studies (Neda-Pids), an independent third party audit, was commissioned and, based on its findings, recommended the NGP’s continuation.

We thank the Aquino administration for giving the NGP utmost support, and our partner CSOs, POs, academe, media and private sector, for their enthusiastic collaboration. It is because of their help that the NGP has become a success and the Philippines has been ranked fifth among countries with greatest forest area gain from 2010-2015 (2015 United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Global Forest Resources Assessment Report).

Under the leadership of Secretary Gina Lopez, a staunch environmentalist, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is confident of taking the Expanded NGP (Executive Order No. 193) to even greater heights.

—RICARDO CALDERON, director, Forest Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources