Sarangani to craft reforestation plan

ALABEL, Sarangani – To help improve the province’s water resources, Sarangani is set to craft a Reforestation Development Plan (RDP) by the first quarter of this year.

According to Bien Dolom, Water Resource Management Specialist of USAID Safe Water, the RDP “is very crucial as it targets to increase forest cover in order to sustain the water resources ng probinsya, since it is primarily focused on improving the water security of Sarangani.”

The RDP is anchored on the Provincial Integrated Water Security Management Plan and the One Million Trees Project of Governor Rogelio Pacquiao.

“The 1-million trees is the essence of the RDP because trees will improve the environment, the soil condition, and the infiltration of rainwater underground,” Dolom said.

In the process, trees will capture the rainwater and prevent it from flowing to the rivers, and flooding and damaging, especially during high rainfall days.

“Through reforestation, we will be capturing the rainwater so that these are restored underground and will be released slowly through springs and streams,” Dolom explained.

Dolom highlighted that water security is the main objective of the plan, while “the improvement of biodiversity, land cover, and forest cover” are just the “other benefits” of it.

On January 30 to February 1, a Sarangani RDP Formulation Workshop was held at General Santos City where the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Provincial, Municipal, and city ENROs, and other partner stakeholders participated in for the crafting of the RDP.

During the workshop, MENROs presented their work and financial plans, including their reforestation activities, commodities, target or priority watershed areas/ sites, and estimated budget. The mechanisms, as well as