ππππ ππ πππ π πππππππ, πππ¦π©ππ§π π β The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with AP Renewable Energy Corporation (APREC) and the Gala Aeta Kulihig Association Inc. (GAKAI) to strengthen reforestation and forest protection efforts in Zambales.
The partnership aims to rehabilitate, maintain and protect more than 74 hectares of forestland in San Marcelino and Subic towns over a five-year period.
Under the agreement, the parties will work together on seedling production, tree planting, plantation maintenance, and site protection to help restore forest cover and improve the condition of the adopted areas.
DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo said the agreement underscores the value of collaboration in advancing sustainable forest management and environmental protection.
βThis agreement highlights how government, the private sector, and local communities can work together to pursue meaningful and sustained reforestation efforts while promoting responsible environmental stewardship,β Pablo noted.
As lead implementing agency, the DENR will provide technical supervision and assistance, including survey and planning, monitoring, documentation, and capability-building support to ensure the effective implementation of the project.
APREC, for its part, will fund the project, including activities related to rehabilitation, maintenance, protection, and community awareness throughout the five-year implementation period.
GAKAI, a community-based peopleβs organization, will facilitate nursery establishment, seedling production, planting, maintenance, and protection of the project areas in coordination with DENR and APREC.
According to Marife Castillo, head of the DENR provincial office in Zambales, fruit-bearing trees, bamboo, and timber species, preferably native species, will be planted to enrich existing vegetation and support long-term forest recovery.
βProtecting and rehabilitating our forestlands requires not only resources, but also strong partnerships and shared accountability. Through this agreement, we are helping ensure that reforestation efforts are sustained and that local communities remain active partners in caring for our natural resources,β Castillo ended.
The initiative supports the governmentβs Enhanced National Greening Program, which seeks to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation through reforestation and sustainable forest management.
