Forests: Nature at Your Service

By PURIFICACION S. DALOOS
May 31, 2011

TACLOBAN CITY  –  “Life without forests is simply unimaginable,” declares Regional Executive Director Primitivo C. Galinato, Jr. of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 8.

His statement comes in the heels of this year’s global celebration of World Environment Day on June 5 and the Philippine Environment Month in June. The twin celebration focuses on forests and is anchored on the theme, “Forests: Nature at Your Service”. This reinforces the declaration of 2011 as the International Year of Forests by the United Nations.

Forests are an issue with essential links to livelihoods, addressing climate change and other present environmental challenges. “In fact, the present National Greening Program (NGP) being implemented by the DENR is a government priority program to reduce poverty, promote food security, environmental stability and biodiversity conservation, and enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation,” RED Galinato says. The NGP specifically seeks to plant 1.5 billion seedlings in 1.5 million hectares of public lands nationwide in six years, from 2011 to 2016.

To create public awareness on the significance of celebrating World Environment Day and Philippine Environment Month, the DENR has lined up several activities which involves the participation of a cross sector of society. Together with representatives of other national government agencies and some industries, DENR employees shall have a parade around the major thoroughfares of Tacloban City on June 6, capped with an environmental program and opening of exhibits at the DENR grounds.  The exhibits shall feature sale and display of products of some DENR partners to include an LGU, some industries and a people’s organization.

“We would like to invite the public to visit the DENR regional office, to view the exhibits and product displays which shall run from June 6 to 10,” says RED Galinato. “Video presentations on environmental concerns shall likewise be featured on that day,” he adds.

In celebration of its anniversary, the DENR shall have a Health and Wellness Day on June 10 which shall feature lectures on Health Care and other wellness concerns, and free medical examinations for its employees.

On Arbor Day which is celebrated on June 24 every year, DENR employees shall plant trees together with some members of the community in Babatngon, Leyte.