Leandria P. Pagunsan
DUMAGUETE CITY, June
16 (PIA)-- The forest cover in Negros Oriental continues to
decline from 1992 up to the present due to lillegal logging and kaingin
activities.
In a Kapihan sa PIA
recently, Dumaguete City Community Environment and Natural Resources
Officer Efren Rumbaoa said the only natural forest left are located
in the Twin Lakes in Balinsasayao, Mount Talinis in Valencia and in the mountains
of Ayungon, Negros Oriental.
Among the three, only
the Twin Lakes in Balinsasayao have solid forest while Mount Talinis and
Ayungon have sporadic forest cover left, Rumbaoa added.
To protect the
existing natural forest, DENR implemented the National Greening Program (NGP)
and EO 23 known as Logging Moratorium prohibiting the cutting of naturally
grown trees except for road construction of the Department of Public Works
and Highways specifically on the road right of way, Rumbaoa said.
According to the
DENR the NGP is implemented by people’s organization, non-government
organizations and local government units (LGUs) to plant trees in the
identified communities.
The DENR also awards
tenurial instruments to people’s organization that are actually tillers and
owners of the land being reforested. Through the tenurial instruments,
sustainability of the project is guaranteed and eventually they become owners
of the project, informed Rumbaoa.
Man-made forest,
according to Rumbaoa has helped in protecting the forest cover in the province
with massive reforestation projects implemented by various groups from 1989 and
presently sustained with the government’s National Greening Program.
(mbcn/lpp/PIA7/Negros Oriental)