CLOSE TO 17 million pine trees have been planted in the 21,100 hectares in the Province of Benguet by various sectors since 2011 when the National Greening Program (NGP) started.

In the weekly Talakayan sa Environment Code radio forum of the Baguio Regreening Movement (BRM), forester Maryanne Maso of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) explained around 700 hectares remain unplanted in the province.

“Based on the result of the latest validation of our office, 80 percent of the total trees planted in the Province have survived since the start of the greening program, the 20% which did not survived will be revisited and replanted again by the various people’s organization,” Maso said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) currently implements environmental protection programs and projects for enhanced NGP with the rehabilitation of 1.2 million hectares of denuded forest lands by 2022 aside from the maintenance and protection of existing forests in the country.

DENR main’s priority is to improve the quality of the environment particularly the air, water, and address solid waste problems.

Erdolfo Balajadia, BRM chairman stated many trees have been planted but the need to return and see the progress of the planted trees have been forgotten.

“We (BRM), conducted planting activities in the past and in fact in Baguio City, there are no more spaces to plant. It is important that we go back and try to nurture these trees that have been planted so that we would have big trees which will benefit the atmosphere of the city, the appearance of the city among others,” Balajadia said.