ππππ ππ πππ π πππππππ, πππ¦π©ππ§π π β The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Local Government Unit (LGU) of General Tinio have formalized a partnership to strengthen the long-term protection and sustainable management of 183 hectares of reforested lands under the National Greening Program (NGP) in Nueva Ecija.
The partnership, established through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), covers graduated NGP sites established in Calendar Years 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2018 in Barangays Rio Chico and Palale, General Tinio.
Merliza Torre, head of the DENR provincial office in Nueva Ecija, explained that under the agreement, the DENR and the LGU will jointly preserve, maintain, and sustainably manage the reforested areas to ensure that the environmental gains achieved through the NGP are sustained beyond the project’s establishment phase.
βBy institutionalizing coordinated management of graduated NGP sites, the partnership helps safeguard biodiversity, strengthen watershed functions, enhance climate resilience, and sustain the ecological benefits that healthy forests provide to communities,β Torre said.
DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo emphasized that sustaining the country’s reforestation gains requires strong and enduring partnerships among government agencies and local stakeholders.
“The National Greening Program aims to ensure that our forests continue to expand and provide lasting benefits for both people and the environment. It goes beyond planting trees. It is about protecting and sustaining the forests we have established,” Pablo remarked.
The partnership forms part of the DENR’s continuing efforts to strengthen collaboration with local government units in ensuring that reforested areas remain protected, productive, and resilient.
