ILOILO City — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources region 6 (DENR-6) recommends planting productive, fruit bearing trees.
DENR-6’s Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) head, Vicente Millezas said they prefer to plant trees that can produce fruits and lumber.
“If ever there is a tree planting activity, it is better that we have to plant native trees and also fruit bearing that produce fruits that we can sell and have enough income to the people. Manami ang productive trees although manami man ang protective trees kay naga protect gid ina sa aton environment like sa aton Maasin watershed may mga portion nga productive and protective areas,” Millezas said.
According to the Rain Forest Restoration Initiative, native trees help recover and expand forest habitats for threatened native plant and animal species. They protect watershed and freshwater resources and secure the livelihood of local people.
Foreign or exotic trees are selected for their ability to grow faster and germinate easily, but have a detrimental effect on the ecosystem, preventing other plants to grow and thrive.
Common native trees that can produce lumber are Narra, Mahogany, Molave Dap-Dap, Ilang-Ilang, Salinbobog, and Balayong among others.
“We need to protect our forests especially this summer season. Makabulig gid sa pag hagan-hagan sang mainit nga panahon.Without forests, we clearly won’t survive, so we have to protect our trees and forests,” he said.
In 2020, during the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)pandemic, the Iloilo Provincial Government launched its environmental program “Tanum Iloilo” (Plant Iloilo) program that aims to grow 1.5 million native and fruit-bearing trees.
Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. led the opening held at the Western Visayas Regional Museum. Forty-three local government units (LGUs) participated.
The program, initiated through the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), was conceptualized for the conservation, protection, and preservation of the environment and to combat the adverse effects of climate change.
Defensor said the launch was in time for the Arbor Day celebration.The tree-planting itself will be done in September during the province’s annual “Pista sa Kakahuyan”.
He said health measures will be practiced during the tree planting activity.
The governor pushed for planting more endemic and fruit-bearing trees like the Duhat (Java plum) and caimito (star apple) to preserve their kind.
“We will put them in a place where they can have a bigger chance to develop. We need to sustain the trees that had been growing in ourcountry ever since.”/PN
