DENR on alert for summer wildfires

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Philippines – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has placed its forest and fire protection officers in Central Luzon on alert for possible wildfires, which usually peak during summer.

“Close to 200 hectares of forest plantations and reforestation projects were scorched last year by wildfires that spread from adjacent grasslands,” said DENR regional executive director Maximo Dichoso.

Dichoso said more than 2,000 forest and fire protection officers and upland farmers are ready to combat the threats of wildfire in Zambales, Tarlac, Bulacan, and Nueva Ecija.

He said the El Niño phenomenon is now affecting Central Luzon.

He said the DENR also tapped 120 people’s organizations with community-based forest management projects to establish fire and green breaks in some 21,000 hectares of forestlands.

“Forest villagers and local governments are better able to deal immediately with fire emergencies.  Engaging their services will help us respond quickly when fire breaks out in remote places,” Dichoso said.

He said the DENR provides science-based fire management training to members of people’s organizations.

“Forest fire prevention is essential to sustain the gains of the National Greening Program (NGP) so that government investments don’t go to waste” Dichoso said.

The NGP, which was created under Executive Order 26, aims to plant 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares from 2011 to 2016 on forest lands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, civil and military reservations and urban areas.