NEW BRIDGE TO INTENSIFY REFORESTATION IN NUEVA ECIJA WATERSHED. The 80-meter long Barat reinforced concrete bridge that runs across the Barat river in Sitio Kanlungan of Carranglan town in Nueva Ecija is now open and will further boost the reforestation and forest protection efforts in the 44,000-hectare Pantabangan- Caranglan Watershed (PCW) after it was inaugurated on Monday by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Luzon and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

 

According to Paquito Moreno, Jr., executive director of Department of Environment and Natural Resource in Central Luzon, the P32-million worth bridge was funded by (JICA) as an agroforestry support facility (ASF) for the 10-year Forest Land Management Project (FMP) in the PCW, which will also benefit some 1,207 households and upland farmers through better access of farm produce from agroforestry areas in the watershed.

 

Barat bridge is the third major agroforestry support facility funded by JICA in two years after the 60-meter long bridge in Sitio Pamalayan in Conversion village in Pantabangan town and the 55-meter long Calaocan hanging bridge in Burgos village in Carranglan town.

 

Launched in 2012, FMP has already rehabilitated more than 14,000 hectares of denuded forestlands in the PCW through collaborative and comprehensive community-based forest management strategies. (-30

 

TURN-OVER OF SERVICE VEHICLES. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here led by Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr., turned over today five brand new motor vehicles to its field offices in Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Tarlac to further intensify the cleanup and rehabilitation of Manila Bay area in Central Luzon. The said vehicles will also be used in the mobilization of human resources for the effective monitoring and implementation of environmental laws.

 

Manila Bay has a total coastline of 190 kilometers. Of these, 142 kilometers or 75% falls under Region 3 with Bulacan (43 km), Pampanga (21 km) and Bataan (78 km) including Nueva Ecija in the upstream and Tarlac in the midstream portion of the Manila Bay region. (-30-)

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here has put up a seedling booth dubbed as “Community PLANTREE” in front of its regional office in support of the International Earth Day 2021 celebration on Thursday and on Friday.

 

Some 380 seedlings of Kasoy, Avocado, Sampaloc Duhat, Mangga, Rambutan, Guyabano, Bignai, Narra, Fire Tree, Molave and Bitaog were given free to residents of nearby community in Pampanga to promote urban greening and environmental stability, and address issue of food security amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The project is inspired by the famous “community pantry” movement all over the country where people are allowed to donate and get food for free. (-30-)

Executive director Paquito Moreno, Jr., (in yellow) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Luzon officially welcome on Tuesday the newly confirmed National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) regional director Roland P. Calde (3rd from right) during the former’s courtesy call with the DENR regional office.

 

Moreno and Calde conveyed their commitment and support to the various programs of both agencies especially the synergy on environmental protection and welfare of indigenous people in the region.

 

DENR records show that various indigenous communities in Central Luzon are the prime beneficiaries of the government reforestation program including the National Greening Program or NGP.