SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique – Forest fires damaged 116.43 hectares covered by the National Greening Program (NGP) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in six Antique municipalities.

Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) chief Louie Laud said the areas affected by the forest fires this year are in the municipalities of Laua-an, Bugasong, Valderrama, Patnongon, Sibalom, and San Remigio.

“The forest fires were due to a cigarette butt that has been thrown away or other human interventions,” he said.

The damage is estimated at PHP2.02 million since the fire destroyed plants and trees, including coffee, guyabano, bamboo, and timber.

Laud said they are requesting local government units to hire more Bantay Gubat (forest guards) to augment their personnel in averting similar incidents.

“LGUs in partnership with the CENRO are requested to help in the information and education campaign among the farmers and upland communities on how they could help protect the NGP,” he said.

In addition to the NGP project, two fire incidents this month also affected 14 hectares of the preserved area at the Sibalom Natural Park in Barangay Cabladan, Sibalom town.

An assessment and validation is still ongoing to determine the cost of the damages.

He added that the forest fire depletes or brings back to zero the forest cover in affected municipalities, and the livestock will have no more areas for pasture.

“The biodiversity and wildlife will also be affected,” he said. (PNA)