DENR to support community-based NGP initiatives

DENR to support community-based NGP initiatives

By Elsa S. Subong, Tuesday 28th of February 2012

ILOILO CITY, Feb. 28 (PIA6) -- Six community-based project concepts are up for approval and cost-sharing with the National Greening Program (NGP) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The project concepts were products of a writing workshop conducted by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) with the community-based organizations in the Tigum-Aganan Watershed Area, aimed at producing project proposals that can attract donors.

Benjamin Luz, CUI Project Manager said representatives from 10 community-based organizations from the towns of Maasin, Alimodian, Leon, Cabatuan and Pavia, with some staff from local government units participated in the workshop.

Luz said the workshop was facilitated by lawyer Donna Gasconia, former consultant of the United Nations Development Programme, who has expertise on project fund sourcing.

Luz said DENR Asst. Secretary Mario Mendoza will be in Iloilo on March 9 to discuss support details for the project proposals.

ASec Mendoza, according to Luz, is in-charge of the NGP, and supports numerous greening projects in the countryside, aiming at planting 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares in six years.

Luz bared that the approved project proposals include Bamboo Zero Waste and Handicraft Project of the Daja Association for Environment Protection in Barangay Daja; Bamboo Seedling Production of the Katilinban sang mga Pumuluyo sa Watershed (KAPAWA), Putting Bato Inter-cropping for Watershed Development of Katilingban sang mga Pumuluyo sa Putting Bato (KPPB), in Bgy. Trangka, all in Maasin.

The others are the Umingan Abaca Inter-cropping for Watershed Development of KAPAWA Fdn in Bgy, Umingan, Alimodian; Cabatuan Ati Bamboo Handicraft and Souvenir Items of the Cabatuan Ati Community with the LGU in Cabatuan, and the Leon Organic Vegetables, Spices and Herbs Project of the Leon Organic Vegetable Growers in Bgy. Tacuyong Sur, Leon.

“The counterpart funds of the NGP will be used to finance the projects, while subsequent undertakings will be coordinated with the provincial and city environment and natural resources offices in Iloilo,” Luz said.

Mayor Mariano Malones, Sr. of Maasin, where three project concepts belong, said that if implemented, will support the on-going undertakings as headwater source for Metro Iloilo Water District.

Luz said the projects are part of CUI's assistance to partners from local government units and national government agencies involved in environmental and disaster management, and economic development. (CUI/ESS/JCM/PIA-Iloilo)

Cabatuan.com - Timeline 2012