BY: HAZEL F. GLORIA
CEBU CITY, March 18 (PIA) --- The
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) will celebrate
the International Day of the Forests on March 21.
In an AGIO7 forum at the Philippine
Information Agency (PIA-7) today, DENR-7 Chief, Forest Resources and
Conservation Division Clea Arceño said that this day is celebrated to raise
awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
Countries are encouraged to undertake
local, national and international efforts to organize awareness raising
activities involving forests and trees, Arceño added.
She also said, DENR urged the public to
help in protecting the forests as they are important in soil and water
conservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Forests are essential in maintaining
the balance of oxygen, carbon dioxide and humidity in the air.
With the observance of the event,
DENR-7 initiated the mangrove planting and growing in a coastal barangay in
Argao, Cebu with more than 3,000 mangrove propagules to be planted on March
21.
The participants of the event include
students, national and local government units/agencies and other stakeholders.
DENR-7 Information Officer Dr. Eddie
Llamedo said that mangroves will act as natural barriers in the coastlines
to shield the communities from highly devastating storm surges and other
tsunami-like waves.
Other lined up activities are the
social media campaign as preparing and sharing banners, leaflets, brochures,
posters, infographics, videos, news and messages; debates and drawing contests
on forest and forestry issues; radio/TV talk shows; tree planting campaign;
photo exhibits that portray the importance forests and tress; workshops and
seminars and online media postings on blog, facebook and twitter.
Meanwhile, Arceño said the illegal
logging in Central Visayas is not that serious. DENR-7 encouraged the
communities, to report illegal cutting of trees, ‘kaingin’ or slash and burn
practices; to participate in the tree planting or growing activities; and
organize a community-based forest protection group.
In a press statement, DENR-7 regional
executive director Dr. Isabelo Montejo emphasized the need to critically
protect the forests as they are instrumental in maintaining our watersheds
which supply fresh water to rivers and the quickest, most effective and largest
means of curbing global emissions.
“We want to protect the Filipino people from disasters like floods
or landslides, and from threats to environmental and economic security like
wood and water shortage, biodiversity loss, air pollution and drought if we
don’t actively protect or take care of our forests,” Montejo concluded.
(mbcn/HFG/PIA-7/DENR-7)