Paje seeks audit of government greening program

Manila, Philippines - Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje yesterday urged the Commission on Audit (COA) to audit the produce of the government’s National Greening Program (NGP) for 2011 up to 2016.

In a letter, Paje requested COA chair Ma. Gracia Pulido Tan to give priority to the audit of the NGP, particularly on the 1.5 billion tree seedlings that would be produced and planted in 1.5 million hectares under the program.

Paje requested regular audit a priority and attention to NGP to ascertain accuracy of field reports, with particular focus on the financial statements of the seedlings’ production and distribution.

The request was also signed by Agriculture Secretary Prospero Alcala and Virgilio de Los Reyes of the Department of Agrarian Reform, who are the NGP’s co-implementors under the Convergence Initiative.

Paje said the move to enlist the top watchdog at every level of government’s performance would enhance the capability of each department to focus on improving the survival rate of the seedlings planted.

He said the regular audit would “see whether our people in the field are really working.”

“We wrote a joint letter to COA to audit us periodically. If possible, quarterly,” Paje said.

Paje said he is willing to cover the expenses that may arise if the auditing can be held on a quarterly basis.

“If we need to pay COA to audit us (quarterly), we will pay because accounting and auditing entail costs,” he said.

Under the NGP scheme, planting will be undertaken mostly by volunteers, while the site identification and site preparation for the planting will be done by government.

NGP’s costing is pegged at P12,500 per hectare, of which P6,000 is allocated for production of seedlings at an average of 500 seedlings for every hectare, or a unit cost of P12 per seedling.

The balance of P6,000 will be for mobilization cost.

Paje said site identification and site preparation are the most crucial components that would largely determine the survivability of the seedlings.

This is aside from the use of a fungus-based fertilizer called Mykovam which, according to Paje, triples the root surface and aids in the survival of seedlings against the elements and infections.

Mykovam contains a species of fungi called vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza that infects the roots and increases the plant’s absorption of water and nutrients from the soil.

Paje added the NGP is aiming for an 80 to 85 percent survival of seedlings planted in every hectare.