San
Fernando City, La Union—Since 2016, the Cash
for Work on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation (CFW-CCAM) program has
reforested and protected at least 4,500 hectares of forest lands in Ilocos
Norte. CFW-CCAM has also preserved rivers, riverbanks, coastline barangays and
provided temporary jobs in partnership with Ilocos Norte governor Ma. Imelda
Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources
Office (PENRO).
Aside from continuous tree
planting, ‘kaingin’ or burning of trees for charcoal making has ceased in many
parts of the areas where assigned barangay ranger officers (BROs) have
maintained and protected seedlings planted through CFW-CCAM and guarded the
mountains from any grass fire or man-made fires.
In Saguigui, Pagudpud, Ilocos
Norte, tribal chieftain Emiliano Rabago is maintaining at least 4 hectares of
forest land planted with fruit-bearing trees and coffee. During CFW activities,
everyone in the community participates to include the elderly and youth, who
are very thankful of the 10-day work especially during lean months wherein they
have no source of income at all. In here, they maintain 60,000 coffee seedlings
ready for planting to other open and devastated lands in Ilocos Norte through
its “greening program”.
Twelve areas are part of the greening
program through CFW-CCAM including Laoag City, Solsona, Dingras, Badoc, Bangui,
Pagudpud, Pasuquin, Vintar, Nueva Era, Pinili, Burgos, and Bacarra.
Also, the CFW-CCAM
intensified the mangrove planting program along the coastlines and other bodies
of water in Ilocos Norte. The Ilocos Norte government is hopeful that if they
sustain their projects, these will protect many families and communities from
extreme weather event, such as storm winds and floods, storm surges, and
tsunamis particularly in Laoag City, Badoc, Currimao, and Pasuquin. Wastes and water lilies use to fill Mangato
River in Laoag City, especially during high tide. After the mangrove and nipa
palm planting funded by CFW-CCAM, the area is now a beautiful scenery and which
they hope to develop as an eco-tourism park in the future.
On the “green wall” of Ilocos
Norte and PENRO greening program, the Ilocos Norte government provided the
seedlings required as a counterpart for the said program. As mentioned by PENRO
head Estrella Sacro, CFW-CCAM is necessary to sustain the workforce, thus,
maintaining the progress of projects towards proper management and conservation
of the environment through local greening initiatives.
During the project
monitoring, community folks appreciated the efforts of the government under the
leadership of Ms. Marcos and DSWD regional director Marcelo Nicomedes J.
Castillo. (Iryn D. Cubangbang)
Comments
Post a Comment