By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — A large-scale forest rehabilitation initiative covering 547 hectares inside the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park is set to begin as the Negros Occidental provincial government intensifies efforts to restore degraded watershed areas and strengthen environmental protection.
Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has directed concerned offices to immediately begin field activities following the formal partnership between the provincial government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Negros Island Region (DENR-NIR).
The agreement, signed on July 1, authorizes the province to rehabilitate and maintain a 547-hectare Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP) plantation site located in Sitio Guinam-an, Barangay Minoyan, Murcia.
Under the 25-year memorandum of agreement, the provincial government will oversee the restoration of the area through bamboo planting, agroforestry development and other sustainable land management initiatives aimed at improving biodiversity and enhancing climate resilience.
The project is also expected to generate livelihood opportunities for nearby communities while promoting the responsible use and protection of natural resources.
Diaz encouraged residents, civic organizations and environmental advocates to take part in the campaign by assisting in community mobilization, establishing tree nurseries and participating in reforestation activities.
As part of the project’s initial phase, the Provincial Environment Management Office completed the digital mapping of the rehabilitation site using aerial drone surveys, while the Provincial Information and Communications Technology Division prepared detailed geographic layouts to guide field implementation.
Officials said the mapping activities provide planners with accurate information on the area’s terrain, elevation, vegetation cover and overall condition, allowing rehabilitation work to be carried out more efficiently.
The provincial government is required to maintain at least an 85 percent survival rate for planted bamboo, regularly coordinate with the DENR, submit progress reports and participate in monitoring and evaluation activities throughout the duration of the agreement.
The rehabilitation program received the endorsement of the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park Protected Area Management Board earlier this year, paving the way for the province’s formal adoption of the ENGP site.
Located within the protected landscape established under Republic Act No. 9154, Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park serves as one of the country’s most important ecological areas, providing critical watershed functions, rich biodiversity and habitat for numerous endemic species while surrounding Kanlaon Volcano, one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes.
ia/xf
