Iloilo city: A partnership with the private sector and local government units (LGUs) is key to increasing forest plantations, rather than relying on the national government for funding for tree-planting initiatives. In a press conference on the sidelines of the national conference of the Society of Filipino Foresters, Inc. (SFFI) in this city, its president, Roberto Oliva, highlighted the ambition of the provincial government of Iloilo to transform the area into a forest province as a very strong statement.
According to Philippines News Agency, Oliva expressed satisfaction with the coordination between the province, the city, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to make Iloilo green again. He emphasized the importance of involving local governments and the private sector as an innovative strategy to establish more plantations. Planting more trees in protected areas, engaging in eco-tourism, and promoting compatible uses are essential to enhancing biodiversity in the region. "The Philippines is one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world," Oliva noted.
DENR 6 (Western Visayas) Executive Director Raul Lorilla stated that the region currently has about 400,000 hectares of forest land and only 12 percent forest cover. "We still have a long way to go to achieve the 48 percent requirement. But we are continuing the efforts - the tree planting, the tree-growing of LGUs, and other rehabilitation efforts, including the forest protection of the existing plantation," he said. The ideal forest ratio is about 48 percent to 52 percent, Lorilla added, noting that through the National Greening Program, 11,000 additional trees have already been planted in Western Visayas.
Nearly 1,500 foresters from across the country gathered in Iloilo City for the national conference of the SFFI, which is centered around the theme "Promoting Wood Self-Sufficiency and Biodiversity Conservation." The conference, held at the Iloilo Convention Center, will continue until Sunday and include discussions on the role of foresters in balancing wood sufficiency and biodiversity conservation, the impact of biodiversity on energy business operations, and the simplification of policies regarding wood sufficiency and biodiversity conservation.
Participants will also visit several sites, including the award-winning Katunggan Integrated Ecopark in Leganes town, the Bulabog Putian Natural Park in Dingle, the Forest Management Project Site in Janiuay, and the Taklong Island Marine Reserve in Guimaras. The Katunggan Ecopark, once an abandoned fishpond, has been successfully transformed into a thriving mangrove forest, while Bulabog Putian remains a protected area.
