TACLOBAN CITY, Aug 21 — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has reported the planting of 23,404,678 mangrove seedlings in 38, 221 hectares as of end June, achieving more than half of the reforestation goal this year.
Purificacion Daloos, DENR-8 information officer, said that by the end of 2014, they are targeting to plant 41,593,163 seedlings, concentrating in Borongan in Eastern Samar, Sta. Rita in Samar and Palo in Leyte.
The project, which is up for expansion in other coastal Leyte towns is under the National Greening Program (NGP). Its focus is mangrove planting in Leyte Gulf.
This project employs residents in covered areas for planting labor through the cash for work program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The DENR in partnership with DSWD and different local government units have allocated P38 million for this program.
"This project will really benefit the residents because in the first place, they are earning money out of the wages that we have given and this becomes their form of livelihood," Daloos said.
She added that the program will directly benefit them because when the trees will grow out of the seedlings that have been planted, it will protect their communities.
The DENR, in informing the masses regarding the said project, used massive education campaign.