DAR joins greening program

MANILA, Philippines - To help boost the government’s National Greening Program, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has planted 1,200 mahogany seedlings in the agrarian reform communities (ARCs) of Tumbras, Rajah Buayan, Tugal, Nabalawag, Kapinpilan, and Samulawan in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

The National Greening Program is a government initiative to plant around 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares nationwide to promote resource conservation and protection, productivity enhancement, climate change mitigation and adaptation and poverty reduction.

Provincial Agrarian Reform Program Officer II Marion Abella said the tree growing program aims to mitigate the effects of climate change, which greatly affect the livelihood of agrarian reform beneficiaries.

“We are hopeful that this program will also strengthen the cooperation and camaraderie of Muslim and Christian agrarian reform beneficiaries to attain peace and development in their respective communities,” Abella said.

He added that the DAR encourages other beneficiaries to sustain the program because in the coming years the trees will grow to boost the natural resources in their areas.

Municipal Agrarian Reform Program Officer Felerma Gimenez said the beneficiaries were delighted with having the trees carry their names because this gave them a sense of pride and responsibility for the trees they have planted.