Capiz remains 'green'
Roxas City -- More than 4,000 hectares of reforestation projects provincewide are being maintained by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) to save forest areas and maintain ecological balance of the environment.
"The trees being maintained are the result of the massive reforestation project since 1989," said DENR - Capiz Forest Management Services Chief Edwin Borja.
Last year, a total of 3,269 seedlings have been planted along the Roll-On Roll-Off routes in the province during the nationwide launching of Green Philippines Nautical Hi-way.
The forest lands or timberland areas of the province comprise 91,229.53 hectares or 34.65% of the province's 263,317 hectares total land area.
Borja stressed that the efforts to improve the province's vegetative cover have been intensified in view of the Green Philippines Program of the government. The program is part of the eight point agenda dubbed 8 by '08.
The private forest plantations are also helping the government efforts to improve the timberland areas, Borja added.
Recently, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed the DENR to fast-track the reforestation of denuded forest lands and a conscious and determined effort to preserve the original timber stock.
The President also unveiled an action plan on environment to place the Philippines in the front line of the global effort to combat global warming last month.
(PIA)