NGP CTB Vol.1

Published by

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Caraga
Barangay Ambago, Butuan City
Agusan del Norte, Philippines
Tel: (085) 341-1996
Fax: (085) 341-7280
CISCO: 3900/3901
Email: [email protected]

Regional Public Affairs Office Caraga in collaboration with the
Conservation and Development Division
DENR Compound, Barangay Ambago, Butuan City
Agusan del Norte, Philippines
Tel: (085) 341-3229
CISCO: 3917
Email: [email protected]

The National Greening Program:
Stories of Success
The road to a greener Caraga

First published: November 2016

Copyright © 2016 DENR Caraga

Consultants:
For. Nonito M. Tamayo, CESO IV (Regional Director)
For. Roberto A. Oliiveros (Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services)
Engr. Paquito D. Melicor Jr. (Assistant Regional Director for Management Services)

Editor in Chief: Herzon F. Gallego (Chief, RPAO)
Associate Editor/ Graphic Artist: Maria Catherine M. Gonzaga (Communications Development Officer II)

Contributors:
Nilda G. Ebron (Chief, CDD)
Marlyn Delos Arcos (Regional NGP Coordinator)
Jholyvill C. Embat (Planning Officer, CDD)
Roxan P. Lunasin (Extension Officer/ GIS)
Lord Noli B. Saligumba (Extension Officer)
Juliet T. Cubillas (Information Officer II)
Regina Charito C. Ga (Administrative Assistant III)
Janine P. Bermoy and Nejielyn J. Linggo
NGP Caraga OpCen

Photographs and illustrations copyright @ 2016 as credited

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners.

©mcmgonzaga

Flower of Mancono ©mcmgonzaga

FOREWORD

CHAPTER 1

Introduction
“A glance at the region’s historical background”

Location Maps

About this book

CHAPTER 2

About the project:
The National Greening Program

CHAPTER 3

Photo Gallery
The stories of success

CHAPTER 4

The way forward

Acknowledgement



FOREWORD BY

NONITO M.TAMAYO, CESO IV

REGIONAL DIRECTOR
DENR CARAGA

The National Greening Program is not just a reforestation project. It is an opportunity to put dreams into reality. Who
would have thought that through this government program, you can be a millionaire someday?

Our region has been well known for illegal logging for so many years especially during the 70’s and it is through the
efforts of the department that finally, the illegal logging incidents were brought down through the imposition of Executive Or-
der No. 23 on February 2011 declaring a moratorium of timber harvesting in the natural and residual forest over the next 25
years.

To cushion the effect of this campaign to the people of Caraga especially those who are dependent on this industry,
Executive Order No. 26 or the National Greening Program was implemented on 2011.

This project paves the way to a lot of notable achievements of the agency. We have been able to bring back the trust
of the people to the government. During the start of the implementation of this program, most of the people were doubtful.
Their first notion was the government will be stealing their land but as we intensify our Information, Education, and Commu-
nication Campaign, the mindset has changed and the number of beneficiaries increased over the years. They realized the
environmental and economic benefits of the program thus they are now encouraged to be part of it.

We have documented numerous success stories through this program. Being part of it was a milestone for most of
the beneficiaries. Some are former timber poachers, rebels, and bystanders who now turned to be beneficiaries of the pro-
gram and well known leaders in their community. There were also stories of communities built through the implementation
of the program. I am grateful that through this program, we were able to unite people, create job opportunities, and gener-
ate income for the people.

I want to pay tribute to all the people behind the success of this program. This would never be possible without the
efforts of the DENR personnel, Local Government Units (LGUs), Academe, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), People’s
Organizations (POs), Religious Sector, Military, Indigenous People (IPs), public and private sectors, and other government
agencies.

Let us continue to build a greener and healthier future. Be an agent of change.

NONITO M. TAMAYO, CESO IV

CY 2011-2012 Rubber plantation of PO Ibuan Agroforestry Farmers ©mcmgonzaga
Association, Inc. in Brgy. Ibuan, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
A GLANCE AT THE REGION’S HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Caraga Administrative Region 13 was the host of the Agusan Marsh which was
created by virtue of Republic Act No. 7901 on recognized by the RAMSAR Convention as
February 23, 1995 by President Fidel V. Ramos. wetland of international importance.
This new born region is a region with colorful
historical background represented by the famous The third province is Surigao del Norte
Balanghai Boat. Caraga is an extensive land mass which is located at the north eastern part of
covering five provinces in the north-eastern Caraga Region. It is dubbed as the largest
Seaboard of the island of Mindanao. The word mineral depository in the country and the surfing
Caraga originated from the Visayan word capital of the Philippines. The province is known
“Kalagan”: “Kalag” meaning “soul or people” and to have the biggest iron ore deposit in the
“an” meaning “land”. The “Kalagans have a long country. It hosts eight major mining companies in
history of being brave and fearless. Thus, the the Philippines which are mostly engaged in iron
region was called by early chroniclers as the “Land ore and nickel deposits. Siargao Island is one of
of the Brave and Fierce People”. the well- known sites in the province. It is
internationally known as the “Surfing Capital of
DENR Caraga was formally established on the South” because of its powerful world-class
October 13, 1995. It manages an area of 1,913,842 waves called Cloud 9.
hectares, of which, 30 percent are alienable and
disposable lands and 70 percent are timberland. Surigao del Sur is located at the eastern
side of the Caraga Region facing the Pacific
The region is composed of five provinces Ocean dubbed as the “Kaleidoscope of
namely Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao Superlatives” with perfectly balanced natural
del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat Islands. resources. It is the second largest province in
terms of land area covering 513,770 hectares
Agusan del Norte was dubbed as the comprising 27 percent of the region’s land area.
industrial and wood processing center of the
Caraga region and home of the 15th century Bitaog The last province is Dinagat Islands. It is
tree. Butuan City was the regional capital which located at the northern tip of Caraga Region and
hosts the most number of wood based industries in the newly created province, hailed as the mineral
the region. island reservation with many limestone rock
formations and rich marine life. It is the smallest
Agusan del Sur on the other hand is the province in terms of land area covering 80,205
biggest with a land area of 829,719 hectares. It is hectares comprising only 4 percent of the
the Cradle of the Timber Corridor which has the region’s land area.
largest private tree plantations in the region and

LOCATION MAP OF CARAGA
PHILIPPINE WIDE

LOCATION MAP OF CARAGA
MINDANAO WIDE

MAP OF THE NGP SITES IN CARAGA
FROM 2011 TO 2015

MAP OF THE NGP SITES IN CARAGA
FROM 2011 TO 2015

Agusan del Norte

MAP OF THE NGP SITES IN CARAGA

FROM 2011 TO 2015
Agusan del Sur

MAP OF THE NGP SITES IN CARAGA
FROM 2011 TO 2015

Surigao del Norte

MAP OF THE NGP SITES IN CARAGA

FROM 2011 TO 2015
Surigao del Sur

MAP OF THE NGP SITES IN CARAGA
FROM 2011 TO 2015

Dinagat Islands

ABOUT THIS BOOK

©mcmgonzaga This book of success stories is
created to commemorate the success of
the National Greening Program
implemented by the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources in
Caraga Region. This highlights different
testimonials of positive changes in the
lives of the Caraganons achieved though
the NGP.

This documentary book is entitled
“The National Greening Program: Stories
of Success; The road to a greener
Caraga”. This aims to effectively portray
the relationship between development
and environmental protection. This is a
proof that in achieving success,
environmental management does not
need to be at risk. On the contrary, they
can come together and create positive
outcomes.

This book will capture your hearts
as we unleash life-changing stories
during the implementation of the
program. This will make you believe that
hard work really pays off and that the
government is here to help the people.

After reading this book, may you
be encouraged to plant trees and be with
us in our advocacy to protect and
conserve our environment and natural
resources.

©mcmgonzaga

CHAPTER 2

ABOUT THE PROJECT

NATIONAL GREENING PROGRAM
Caraga Region

“”“Lend a Hand, Plant a Tree, Save the Earth”

Adjunct to Executive Order No. 23 domain such as forestlands, mangrove and
which declares the moratorium on the protected areas, ancestral domains, civil
cutting and harvesting of timber in the and military reservations, urban areas under
natural and residual forests and creating the the greening plans, inactive and abandoned
anti-illegal logging task force, Executive mine sites, and on other suitable lands.
Order No. 26 was issued by His Excellency,
President Benigno S. Aquino III on February Similarly, the NGP unifies,
24, 2011 declaring the implementation of strengthens and harmonizes all previous
the National Greening Program as a gov- greening efforts such as the Upland
ernment priority aimed to alleviate poverty, Development Program (UDP), Luntiang
food security, economic growth with equity, Pilipinas, and other similar initiatives from
biodiversity conservation, and climate other government sectors.
change mitigation and adaptation.
The main strategy of this program is
The National Greening Program bringing together the three key national
addresses the protection of the remaining agencies -the Department of Agriculture
forest cover of the country in order to (DA), the DENR, and the Department of
prevent the destructive effects of flashfloods Agrarian Reform (DAR) to ensure that
and flooding as well as to preserve government resources and skills are
biodiversity and protect threatened habitats streamlined and focused on the project.
and sanctuaries of endangered species. Communities and all stakeholders of the
The program allows natural regeneration of environment were involved. Students from
residual forests and promotes the Elementary (Grades 5 and 6) up to Tertiary
development of plantation forests. levels and government employees were
encouraged to individually plant at least ten
It is a six-year project commencing (10) seedlings annually.
on year 2011 until 2016, NGP is envisioned
to plant some 1.5 Billion of trees In support to this noble program,
(i.e premium/indigenous species, forest tree Caraga region allocated a total of 100,000
species, and fruit trees) covering 1.5 Million hectares of its vast forestland. For the past
Hectares spread nationwide within public five (5) years, this region has an aggregate

area developed of 72,113.30 has. which planting 4,100 has. of land in two hundred five
was planted with 51,487,064 seedlings of (205) barangays. Another was the development
various species by 211,303 volunteer of 2,600 has. in partnership with the Philippine
planters. The said total accomplishment is Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation
already 72% of the committed area for (PTFCF) and Federation of Philippine
development. Environment (FPE). The sixty (60) Local
Government Units (LGUs) also formed part in
However, behind the achievement of planting 5,897 has. thru the Bottom-up-
attaining the goals and objectives of NGP Budgeting Project (BuB).
are the barriers along the road faced by the
frontline implementer of this program. One For the past five (5) years, a total of
of which is the hardship in mobilizing 105,349 jobs have been generated for the
volunteer planters. Given the gargantuan Caraganons.
target, each office needed to intensify their
IEC in order to gain more advocates of On top of the target of NGP are
nature. Additionally, parallel to the increase accomplishments from the private entities such
of the target is the difficulty of reaching the as the IFMA and SIFMA holders, mining
planting sites since most of the available companies and wood processing plants
areas were distant from the barangay proper wherein they were able to plant some 5,370
or cannot be accessed by any vehicle. has. of forestland.

Moreover, the onslaught of natural There are a total of 101 Indigenous
phenomenon such as El Niño and typhoons People’s Organizations that have been part of
in every year gave significant effect to the the program. They have been able to plant a
plantation establishment activities of NGP. total area of 20,245 hectares within the CADT
areas from 2011 to 2016.
Nevertheless, despite all the odds,
this program will be far from reality if not due One of the biggest events that support
to the incessant support derived from the the thrust of the NGP was the attempt of
Local Government Units (LGUs), People’s Mindanao to break the Guinness World Record
Organizations (POs), Indigenous People (GRW) held by India in 2011 for “The Most
(IPs), academes, religious sector, private Trees Planted Simultaneously in Multiple
entities, and other government agencies. Locations” within one hour. This Mindanao-wide
campaign dubbed as “TreeVolution: Greening
The unity of all stakeholders was MindaNOW” aimed and succeeded to plant
attested by the projects created in support to 4,636,000 trees in multiple locations covering a
NGP. One example was the collaboration of total of 9,200 hectares on September 26, 2014.
Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Meanwhile, Caraga Region contributed to this
DENR, DILG, LGU, academe, and private endeavor by planting 513,127 seedlings by
sectors to implement Barangay Forest mobilizing 27,907 volunteer planters in 1,137
StraTREEgic Forest Project (BSFP) by hectares.

Growing area of the Mechanized and Modernized ©mcmgonzaga
Forest Nursery in Bislig, Surigao del Sur

CHAPTER 3

PHOTO GALLERY

PART 1

THE STORIES OF SUCCESS

JUAN ACERO GALON ©mcmgonzaga

NGP Beneficiary
Member, Sangay Watershed Planters Association (SAWAPA) People’s Organization

Barangay Sangay, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte

TEOFILA GALON ©mcmgonzaga

NGP Beneficiary
Member, Sangay Watershed Planters Association (SAWAPA) People’s Organization

Barangay Sangay, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte

CY 2012 Falcata plantation of PO Sangay Watershed Planters Association
(SAWAPA) in Barangay Sangay, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte

©mcmgonzaga

©mcmgonzaga

Regional Director Nonito M. Tamayo congratulated Juan

Acero Galon, 82 years old and his wife Teofila for the 100
percent survival rating of the falcata seedlings on their one-hectare
farm.

“This is the essence of the NGP, which is to reduce poverty in
the countryside by giving them the means to earn income” Director
Tamayo said. The other goals of the NGP are to promote food
security, environmental stability, biodiversity conservation, and
enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“My wife and I are happy that we were able to participate in
the NGP” Galon said. “We expect to earn income from those falcata
trees once they mature in about six years from now” he said.

Mang Juan as he is fondly called by his peers admitted he can
hardly afford to provide decent meal for his nine children before he
joined the program. “The NGP helped us sustain our daily needs” he
said.

Mang Juan is an active member of the Sangay Watershed
Planters Association (SAWAPA) People’s Organization. The
association maintains 58 hectares of falcata plantation under the
NGP.

The program taught him to diversify his tree farm through
planting cash crops such as banana and corn although he opted for
banana. “This is where we get our income to survive while waiting
for the falcata to mature” Mang Juan said.

The elder couple which will celebrate their 59th wedding
anniversary this year can still outpace the much younger age in
hiking uphill and manage to work in the farm from sunrise to sunset.
“This is the secret of long life, which is to live a healthy lifestyle in a
clean environment” Mang Juan said.

Director Tamayo said the couple is a role model of NGP who
despite their advance age could maintain a 100 percent survival rate
of the tree seedlings that they have planted. “NGP is more than
climate change mitigation” he said. “The program helps the people in
any possible way it can to give the people in the hinterlands a better
living condition” Director Tamayo said.

He said the DENR is happy to note that there are people like
Mang Juan who are dedicated in pursuing the success of the NGP.

Trail to NGP Sites in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte

©mcmgonzaga

©mcmgonzaga

CY 2015 Falcata plantation of PO Km.7 Farmers Producers
Cooperative in Barangay Tungao, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte

“Through the National Greening Program, the
community was transformed. There are no more
trouble makers, drunkards, and gamblers. Everyone
is busy planting for their future. It gives better life

for the farmers”
-Nilo Calipayan

NILO CALIPAYAN

NGP Beneficiary
Member, Km. 7 Framers Producers Cooperative

Tungao, Butuan City, Agusan del Norte

JAIME OCLARIT

NGP Beneficiary
Chairman, PO Ibuan Agroforestry Farmers Association Inc.

Brgy. Ibuan, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte

CY 2011-2012 Rubber plantation of PO Ibuan Agroforestry Farmers
Association, Inc. in Brgy. Ibuan, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte

©mcmgonzaga

CY 2011-2012 Rubber plantation of PO Ibuan Agroforestry Farmers
Association, Inc. in Brgy. Ibuan, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte

©mcmgonzaga

©mcmgonzaga

CY 2011 Falcata plantation of PO Pigsilawan Agro-industrial Development
Association in Brgy.Milagros, Esperanza,Agusan del Sur

T“
he National Greening Program gave us hope. Now, we can
assure that our children will have a brighter future. Most
of us started working at the age of 14, we were not able
to go to school, we do not want our children to experience
the same. Through NGP, we started to believe that the
”government is here to help the people.

-Domingo Sag-od “Datu Panalian II”

©mcmgonzaga

DATU PANALIAN II AND DATU PANALIAN

NGP Beneficiaries

PO Hillstribe Economic Development Farmers Association

Brgy. San Juan, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur



CY 2014 Falcata plantation of PO Hillstribe Economic Development Farmers
Association (HEDFA) in Brgy. San Juan, Bayugan City, Agusan del Sur

©mcmgonzaga





DATU SUBANG

NGP Beneficiary
Chairman, Bagani Tribal Returnees Community Development Association
Inc.
Barangay Padi-ay, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur

©ehfgallego



“We thought in previous years that
no government program was good enough
to solve our financial needs until the
implementation of the National Greening
Program in our area proved us wrong.
The National Greening Program has
drastically changed our lives. We are
former timber poachers but because of
this program, we are enlightened and
finally decided to take a straighter path
We cut those trees inside our ancestral
domain and we felt bitter when EO 23 or
the Anti-illegal Logging Campaign was
imposed by the DENR because we could
no longer trade freely those trees that we
harvested. But now, we could already see
the bad effects of our actions. The
financial freedom brought by money from
timber poaching is only temporary. The
NGP has made us realize that the forest
could offer more than just logs, if only we
would take care of it and use it correctly ”

-Datu Subang

©ehfgallego

©ehfgallego