Lush forests in sitio Cantipla, barangay Tabunan form part of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape. (CDN PHOTO/ TONEE DESPOJO)
Years of aggressive reforestation in Cebu and Central Visayas may have finally paid off as forest cover in the region showed a 15 percent increase in the last three years.
Forest cover in Cebu and the rest of Central Visayas grew in the last three years, a report that highlights today’s celebration of the International Day of Forests.
The world is celebrating the International Day of Forests today.
A report by the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources released in time for the International Day of Forests highlights 178,682 hectares of forest cover in the region, a 15-percent increase from the only 155,373 hectares in 2010.
The DENR-7’s Forest Resources and Conservation Division Chief Clea Arceno said the increase may be because the public has grown more “environmentally conscious.”
Siquijor province showed the highest increase with 53.5 percent from 1,273 hectares to 1,954 hectares. Cebu follows with a 28.15-percent increase from 39,251 to 50,299 hectares.
Negros Oriental is third with 11.87 percent increase from 61,372 to 68,656 hectares while Bohol had an eight percent increase from 53,477 to 57,773 hectares.
Forest cover includes both manmade and natural forests, including forests within wetlands and built-up areas.
“This also shows that the National Greening Program (NGP) of DENR is serious. Starting 2011, there has already been validation of CENRO (Community Environment and Natural Resources Office) reports which are notarized. We also submit geo-tagged pictures which are real-time situation photo reports,” said DENR 7 spokesperson Eddie Llamedo.
The agency also noted a 25,000-hectare increase in the region’s forest cover for 2013 but this data still has to be validated.
DENR also considers as a factor the sustained reforestation efforts, regular monitoring and enforcement with the people’s organizations and local government units, creation of the regional anti-illegal logging task force, and imposition of Executive Order 23 or the moratorium on the cutting and harvesting of timber in the natural and residual forests.
With this, the DENR 7 urges people to help in protecting forests which are important in soil and water conservation as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed March 21 as the International Day of Forests to raise awareness on the importance of all types of forests.
The DENR will plant 3,000 mangroves in a coastal barangay in Argao, southern Cebu today. This will be participated in by students, local government units, national government agencies and others.
“We should plant more mangroves as they act as natural barriers in the coastlines shielding communities from devastating storm surges and other tsunami-like waves,” said DENR 7 Director Isabelo Montejo.
While Bohol and northern Cebu suffered from an earthquake and supertyphoon Yolanda last year, around 800 hectares of affected forests in Bohol have been replaced in tree-planting and growing activities early this year, said Arceno.
The DENR is enforcing a replacement rule for every tree cut.
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