Iloilo overshoots re-greening project target

THE Action for Re-greening and Transformation for Climate Change Adaptation in Iloilo province overshoots its target in 2013, despite the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The program, which aims to cushion the impact of climate change, was able to plant 1,775,707 seedlings, surpassing its 1.5-million target.

Only those mangrove propagules planted in Barangay Embarkadero, Batad died from the oil spill.

Of the 43 local government units (LGUs) involved in the program, the town of Barotac Nuevo has the most number of trees planted (193,148), followed by Dingle (185,876), and Miagao (124,769).

The LGUs with least number of trees planted were the towns of Pavia (621), Balasan (3,717), Bingawan (7,743) and San Miguel (7,930). The towns of Estancia, San Rafael and Sara, all in Northern Iloilo, have not submitted reports yet as of Tuesday.

The recent accomplishment was also the highest since the revival of the program in 2011, based on the records of the Provincial Population Office and Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro).

A total of 1,399.249 trees with 64 percent survival rate (866,974) were planted in 2011 and 1,689,531 with 60 percent survival rate (1,024,842) were planted in 2012.

Last year’s tree planting activity was also successful in mobilizing thousands of volunteers in 1,223 barangays (71 percent) in 43 LGUs in Iloilo.

The gains of ART for CCA also placed the province as 1st runner-up in Environmental Governance in last year’s Excellence in Governance Award (EXCELL Award) of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

This year, the governor is again eyeing to plant 1.5-million trees and half a million mangroves to replenish those that have been destroyed by Yolanda. (PIO)