NGP Generates 59,656 Jobs in Central Visayas in 2014 – DENR 7

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 said that the National Greening Program (NGP) has generated a total of 59,656 jobs and livelihood to upland and coastal communities in Central Visayas in 2014.

Dr. Isabelo Montejo, DENR 7 Executive Director, said that this involves 12,536 employed farmers, fishers and, their families in various identified NGP sites in the region.

Montejo said that the objectives of the NGP include providing jobs and livelihood opportunities to farmers and fishers in the region while improving and rehabilitating forests and coastal resources.

Of the total, Negros Oriental got the largest number of employment with 23,370 jobs; followed by Cebu with 22,383 jobs; Bohol with 11,816; and Siquijor with 1,996 jobs.

The DENR 7 said that the NGP has contracted with 207 people’s organizations (PO) in all four provinces after four years of implementation.

Montejo said that the DENR recognizes the huge help provided by the POs in ensuring the effective and successful implementation of the program.

“Aside from the people’s organizations, which are our primary partners in this project, we also acknowledge the very strong support provided to us by our local government units, academe, and other stakeholders,” Montejo said.

Earlier, the DENR 7 has reported a 102-percent NGP accomplishment in 2014 which produced at least 15,967,171 seedlings and reforested 20,296.97 hectares in the region.

The survival rate of seedlings planted in 2011 and 2012 plantations is 81.49 percent based on the completed validation conducted by the Office of the Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services.

In a revised NGP validation results for 2011 and 2012, Cebu yielded the highest number of surviving seedlings at 84.48 percent or equivalent to 1,918,631 in 2012 and 80.25 percent in 2011 or 1,216,542.

Bohol has surviving seedlings at 82.19 percent and 79.83 percent or equivalent to 4,542,748 and 1,066,867 in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

Negros Oriental has a rate of 79 percent or 2,246,617 in 2012 and 855,956 in 2011; and Siquijor obtained the highest rate of 91 percent or 109,091 seedlings survived in 2011, but it went down to 80 percent or 162,986 in 2012. (PNA) FFC/EB/SSC