FPRDI supports the National Greening Program, spearheads tree-growing project
July 18, 2012
Two thousand forest and fruit tree seedlings were planted by the staff and management of the Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) last 6 July 2012 at Brgy. Manaol, Nagcarlan, Laguna. The tree-growing activity was part of FPRDI’s year-long celebration of its 55th Anniversary and serves as the Institute’s contribution to the government’s National Greening Program (NGP).
“This tree-growing project is very fitting as we want to have a community outreach project for our Institute’s anniversary celebration,” said Ms. Mildred M. Fidel, Chief of FPRDI’s Technical Services Division. “As we give back to the community, we are also fulfilling our commitment towards the successful implementation of the NGP,” Fidel added.
The NGP, enacted thru President Benigno Aquino III’s Executive Order 26, aims to plant 1.5 billion trees in around 1.5 million hectares of land throughout the country from 2011 to 2016. Led by the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Agrarian Reform, the NGP affirms the government’s policy to “pursue sustainable development for poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation."
Present during the opening program of FPRDI’s tree-planting activity were Dr. Isidro L. Mercado, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) and Mr. Bonifacio S. Dorado, Barangay Captain of Manaol. Both lauded FPRDI’s initiative and expressed gratitude that Brgy. Manaol was chosen as the planting area. A ceremonial Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing among Mercado, Dorado, and FPRDI Deputy Director Felix B. Tamolang was also conducted during the program.
The MOA stipulates that the DENR will regularly inspect the planted seedlings and provide technical assistance to ensure their survival. The FPRDI and the local government, meanwhile, will take charge of weeding and replanting, as needed. ### (Apple Jean C. Martin, 13 July 2012)
