DENR-7 covers 63% of annual seedling production target

CEBU, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources- 7 has produced a total of 8,246,436 seedlings as of May 17 according to the seedling production report submitted by the Forest Management Services.

This covers around 63 percent of the region's overall annual target of more than 13 million seedlings in 2013.

Of the total accomplishment, Cebu province has reported 2,288,159 seedlings or 45.12 percent of its target of 5,071,533 seedlings; Bohol Province with 2,229,177 seedlings or 69 percent of its target of 3, 326, 071 seedlings; Negros Oriental with 3,622,100 seedlings or 79 percent of its annual target of 4,574,829 seedlings; and Siquijor province has yielded a 100 percent accomplishment of 37,000 seedlings.

Isabelo R. Montejo, DENR-7 regional executive director, said that the good performance in seedling production in Region 7 is a good manifestation that the department has kept its vow to do its best to meet the requirements for the National Greening Program.

"Aside from achieving our targets on the number of seedlings, we also ensure that we have produced quality seedlings which shall be used to supply our various tree planting and growing program here in the region," Montejo added.

To recall, DENR 7 has allocated a budget amounting to P136.566 million to to reforest around 24,461 hectares of identified forest land and NGP sites in the four provinces this year. — (FREEMAN)