DEAR Mr. President:
In the aftermath of the typhoons and landslides that happened in our country, we have been reminded again, as we have been reminded before, that we must plant trees, not just a few seedlings here and there, but millions of it, as much as we could. It has become clear that trees could not only prevent water from trickling very fast to the lowlands, but they also prevent landslides.
What has already become clear to most of us Filipinos is that one of the major causes of floods is the loss of forest cover, meaning that our mountains have become denuded, because the trees that used to thrive there were totally cut and were not replanted.
Replanting or reforestation is one side of the equation Mr. President, because there is another side to the equation, which is afforestation.
According to Microsoft Copilot, “afforestation is the process of planting trees in an area that has not previously forested, to create a new forest. This is different from reforestation, which involves replanting trees in areas where forests have been depleted”.
Copilot adds that just like reforestation, “afforestation could help deter climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, preventing soil erosion, and enhancing biodiversity”.
Realistically speaking Mr. President, is afforestation too much to ask from a people who were not able to do reforestation, as simple as it is? Is it too much to ask from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the government that is apparently failing to implement the National Greening Program (NGP)?
I believe Sir, that my answer to these two questions is yes. I say that because I believe that these two questions are political in nature and are not technical in nature. My answer is yes, because I believe that with the right political will, it could be done, but with the right political leadership of course.
Realistically speaking Sir, I think that it is difficult to tell which areas in our country were previously forested, and which areas were not. Some areas that were previously forested could be 100% devoid of trees now, such that there is no longer a hint at all that a forest used to thrive there.
Perhaps in the lowlands, the planting of new trees could no longer stop the floods and the landslides, but at least, new trees could still absorb carbon dioxide, and even feed fresh water to the aquafers.
Mr. President, since the implementation of the NGP is apparently still ongoing, perhaps you could investigate it to be able to what its progress is.
I suggest however Sir, that NGP should have clear targets about how many square kilometers should be planted, and which mountains should be planted.
I also suggest Sir, that the progress of the planting and the new growth should be monitored both by drones and by satellite images, for comparison purposes.
May I also request Sir, that the DENR be instructed to plant only native species? For that matter, I think that it would be wise to cut down and remove the invasive tree species, while the native tree species are being planted.
In addition to that Sir, may I also request that you also include the planting of mangrove forests in the NGP? I know for a fact that some local government units (LGUs) and nongovernment organizations (NGOs) are planting mangrove propagules in some places, but no one seems to be planning to grow new mangrove forests, except perhaps Yolanda survivor Gary Dabansol who planted 10,000 mangrove trees all by himself in his village in Matalom, Leyte, knowing that it could provide additional protection against storm surges./PN
