National Greening Program sa Cavite, hindi raw maayos na naipatutupad ng DENR

GMA Public Affairs

14 Jul 201709:17

Summary

TLDRThe Commission on Audit's report highlighted the ineffective implementation of the National Greening Program (NGP) by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) from 2013 to 2015. Issues like poor tree monitoring, animal damage, and the planting of trees in unsuitable or private lands plagued the program. Despite efforts to replant and monitor trees, challenges such as road widening and lack of coordination with local governments resulted in significant tree losses. The report calls for better planning, protection, and long-term maintenance of planted areas to ensure the survival of trees.

Takeaways

🌳 The COA reported that from 2013 to 2015, the DENR did not have an effective system for implementing the National Greening Program (NGP).
🌱 In Barangay Langkaan, Dasmariñas, Cavite, around 2,000 trees were said to be planted, but issues arose regarding their survival.
🐂 The trees planted in Sitio Humayao in 2011 were destroyed by animals like cows and carabaos, as there was insufficient protection for the seedlings.
👎 The DENR was criticized for lacking proper monitoring and care of the trees, especially during the critical first three years of growth.
💧 Some efforts were made for monitoring and watering the trees, but funding for maintenance was inconsistent, affecting the program's success.
🚧 A road-widening project by DPWH resulted in the destruction of trees planted in certain areas, including Barangay Kabuko, Cavite.
🏞️ Due to the lack of available public land for planting, some trees were planted in private lots, posing a risk of future removal.
🌡️ Many trees died because they were planted during the dry season, further highlighting the need for better timing and planning in the program.
🪵 In Barangay Kabuko, some residents illegally cut trees like ipil-ipil for profit, undermining the goals of the NGP.
📊 Forest Foundation Philippines doubted the DENR's reports, emphasizing that the true measure of success is the survival of the trees after three years, not just the quantity planted.

Q & A

What was the main issue identified by the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding the National Greening Program (NGP) from 2013 to 2015?
-The COA report revealed that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) lacked an effective and efficient system for implementing the National Greening Program (NGP) during this period.
What happened to the trees planted in Barangay Langkaan, Dasmariñas, Cavite, under the NGP?
-The trees planted in Barangay Langkaan were reportedly destroyed or eaten by animals, while others died due to inadequate care, particularly from livestock like cows and carabaos.
What specific challenges did the DENR face in monitoring and maintaining the trees planted under the NGP?
-The DENR faced challenges such as the destruction of planted trees by animals and insufficient monitoring, especially during the critical first three years of tree growth, which are vital for the survival of the plants.
How did the local government of Dasmariñas respond to the problem of animals destroying the trees?
-The local government of Dasmariñas passed an ordinance in 2015 that required animals to be tied up to prevent them from damaging the planted trees.
Why were many of the trees planted in Cavite destroyed by road widening projects?
-A lack of coordination between the DENR and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) led to trees being planted along roadsides, which were later destroyed by road widening projects.
What problem did Barangay Kabuko face with regards to planting sites under the NGP?
-Barangay Kabuko had limited planting areas, which led them to plant trees along roadsides and private lots. This posed a risk to the survival of the trees, as they were more susceptible to being cut down during road projects.
How does the NGP define appropriate planting areas for trees?
-The NGP specifies that trees should be planted on public land, with careful consideration of the site's suitability for tree growth and the establishment of forests.
What measures did the DENR take to prevent the cutting of roadside trees under the NGP?
-The DENR instructed its field offices to limit tree planting along roadsides and instead focus on planting in mountains and coastal areas to avoid the trees being cut down for road development.
Why did many trees planted during the summer season under the NGP die?
-Many trees planted during the summer season died because they were not properly watered and maintained, a common issue raised in several areas participating in the NGP.
What was the main criticism of the NGP from the Forest Foundation Philippines?
-The Forest Foundation Philippines criticized the NGP for focusing too much on the number of trees planted rather than ensuring the survival of the trees over the critical first three years.

Outlines

00:00

🌳 Challenges in Implementing the National Greening Program (NGP)

The Commission on Audit (COA) reported that from 2013 to 2015, the implementation of the National Greening Program (NGP) by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was ineffective. The report highlights discrepancies in the number of trees planted, with issues in the Langkaan area in Dasmariñas, Cavite. It was noted that the trees planted in 2011 were either destroyed or eaten by animals. Poor maintenance, especially in the first three years of planting, and lack of funding for monitoring contributed to the failure of the program. Local authorities like the barangay officials tried to mitigate the impact by tying animals to prevent them from damaging the trees. However, a lack of coordination between DENR and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) led to planted trees being affected by road widening projects, undermining reforestation efforts.

05:01

🌱 Replanting and Relocation Efforts Amid Challenges

Due to limited planting sites, the barangay planted trees along roadsides, which eventually led to their removal because of road widening projects. The DENR was criticized for selecting inappropriate locations for planting, which were not suitable for tree growth and survival. There were efforts to replant dead trees, with barangay officials trying to maintain them, but many trees were planted on private lots, which put them at risk. Moving forward, DENR aimed to focus planting in suitable areas such as mountains and coastal regions instead of roadsides. The Barangay Kabuko faced problems such as residents illegally cutting ipil-ipil trees for profit. The report also mentioned the issues with maintaining the planted trees in General Trias Sports Park, as the number of surviving trees fell short of the target, with several areas still overgrown and lacking proper care.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡National Greening Program (NGP)

The National Greening Program (NGP) is a reforestation initiative by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) aimed at planting trees across the Philippines. It plays a central role in the video, with discussions on the effectiveness of its implementation and challenges like lack of monitoring and tree survival rates. The program's goal is to enhance the country's forest cover and combat climate change.

💡DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources)

The DENR is the government agency responsible for managing the Philippines' environment and natural resources. In the video, the DENR is criticized for failing to properly implement and monitor the NGP. Issues such as trees being destroyed by animals or development projects are highlighted as shortcomings of the agency's oversight.

💡Barangay

A Barangay is the smallest administrative unit in the Philippines, akin to a village or community. The video frequently mentions Barangays such as Langkaan and Kabuko, which were involved in the tree planting efforts under the NGP. However, these communities faced challenges like animal interference and land limitations, affecting the program's success.

💡Tree Planting

Tree planting is a central activity of the NGP, with the goal of restoring forests by planting various species of trees. In the video, it is reported that thousands of trees were planted, but many did not survive due to factors such as poor monitoring, lack of maintenance, and interference from animals.

💡Mahogany

Mahogany is one of the tree species mentioned in the video that was planted as part of the NGP. However, many of these trees did not survive due to destruction by animals like cows and carabaos. This highlights the broader issue of ensuring that the planted trees thrive after initial planting.

💡Penro (Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office)

Penro is the provincial branch of the DENR responsible for overseeing local environmental programs. The video discusses the role of Penro in implementing the NGP in areas like Humayao Road. However, their efforts were hampered by external factors such as animal interference and road widening projects.

💡Monitoring

Monitoring is a key issue in the video, with the COA (Commission on Audit) reporting that a lack of proper monitoring by the DENR led to the failure of many tree planting efforts. Monitoring involves ensuring that the planted trees are maintained, protected from animals, and given proper care like watering and weed removal.

💡Road Widening Project

The road widening project refers to infrastructure developments that led to the destruction of trees planted under the NGP. In the video, trees planted along Governor's Drive were cut down to make way for road expansion, highlighting the conflict between environmental programs and urban development.

💡Seedlings

Seedlings are young trees that are planted in reforestation efforts like the NGP. The video mentions that many seedlings were distributed and planted, but their survival rate was low. The problem is partly attributed to poor care and environmental factors like animals eating or trampling the seedlings.

💡Forest Foundation Philippines

Forest Foundation Philippines is mentioned as an organization that questions the accuracy of the DENR’s reports on the success of the NGP. They emphasize that the number of trees planted should not be the primary metric of success, but rather the number of trees that survive after three years. This critique is central to understanding the shortcomings of the NGP.

Highlights

COA reported from 2013 to 2015 that there was no proper and effective system in implementing the National Greening Program (NGP) by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

In the NGP accomplishment report, 2,000 trees were said to have been planted in Barangay Langkaan, Dasmariñas, Cavite.

The DENR was criticized for lack of monitoring, as many planted trees were destroyed or eaten by animals, while others simply did not survive.

The local government of Dasmariñas implemented an ordinance in 2015 requiring animals to be tied up to prevent them from destroying plants.

The COA report highlighted a lack of coordination between the DENR and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), leading to trees being destroyed during road widening projects in Cavite.

The DENR planted 3,000 trees in Barangay Kabuko in 2011, but some were cut down due to a road widening project along Governor's Drive.

Barangay Kabuko planted trees along roadsides due to a lack of available planting sites, but some of these trees were at risk of being cut down because they were planted on private lots.

The NGP accomplishment report claimed that over a thousand trees were planted in General Trias Sports Park, but only a fraction survived.

Sports Park management has maintained the remaining trees by watering them and removing vines and weeds, but not all trees survived.

Forest Foundation Philippines expressed doubts about the accuracy of the DENR's tree planting reports, criticizing the focus on the quantity of trees planted rather than the number of trees that actually survived.

Critical monitoring was lacking during the first three years after planting, which are crucial for tree survival.

Private landowners cutting down ipil-ipil trees for profit became an issue in Barangay Kabuko, violating NGP regulations.

The COA noted that NGP funds allocated for monitoring and maintaining planted trees were insufficient or not properly utilized.

The DENR responded by adjusting its planting strategy, focusing more on planting in mountainous and coastal areas instead of along roadsides.

In some cases, the DENR planted trees during the dry season, contributing to their low survival rate.