There are few sights quite as sad and depressing as a scarred
forest or a denuded hillside. In the uplands of Nueva Vizcaya,
the watershed haven of Region II, forests have been exploited
to such a degree that flashfloods have occurred in nearby
towns. From 86% in the early eighties, Nueva Vizcaya’s
forest cover is now down to just 25%.
Amid the damage to rice lands, business establishments
and private property, the provincial government under the
leadership of Governor Rodolfo Agbayani has sprung into
action. It created a TREE that bears seed money for college
tuition, enterprises, taxes, fruits of hopes and dreams.
“TREE” is an acronym for “Tree
Resources for Education, Enterprise” and legacy. The
program is composed of three strategies, each focusing on
a clear objective. Its incentive system has encouraged people
to plant trees – traditionally viewed as a ceremonial
activity with little economic value.
“Tree for Education” or the Children’s
Forest Program gives students the right to plant as many
as 50 trees and benefit from its resources. The provincial
government provides a basket of seedlings while schools
set aside a plot of land for their students who voluntarily
participate in the program. As an added incentive, the student
receives regular donations of school supplies and equipment.
Parent and teachers’ associations also receive harvesting
rights as guardians of the school’s forest programs.
But the biggest reward is the college fund that will
come from the proceeds of trees harvested when they mature.
A single Gmelina tree, for example, which is highly in demand
for making furniture, can be sold for P5,000 when it matures
in five years.
Another component of the program, the “Tree
for Enterprise”, has the same characteristic except
that its objective is to give participants the right to
sell the trees for profit. Students register with the local
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) office
and the Assessor’s Office to receive a Certificate
of Tree Ownership (CTO) that ensures harvesting rights over
the trees and their authority to sell them for profit.
“Tree for Legacy”, the third component,
provides harvesting rights in protected areas or watersheds.
This allows people’s councils, civil society groups
and community organizations to enroll in the program and
reap benefits.
So far, over 600 hectares have been reforested through
the program, with 77 schools involved. About 260,000 trees
have already been planted at a cost of P391,075.50. A total
of 1,695 individuals and 127 organizations are directly
involved in the program.
By 2004, the provincial government envisions a total
of 734,875 trees would have already been planted, involving
78 schools and 5,615 individuals.
