At least 12 towns in the third district of Bohol have been chosen as sites of the National Greening Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) with total allocation of P11,063,034 for forest development projects in a total of 654 hectares. Third District Rep. Arthur Yap already informed Mayors Norman Palacio of Bilar, Conchita Toribio-delos Reyes of Carmen, Marnilou Ayuban of Alicia, Cornelius Ocay of Duero, Maria Fe Piezas of Guindulman, Sergio Amora of Candijay, Alfredo Gamalo of Sierra-Bullones, Ernesita Digal of Sevilla, Francisco Pepito of Batuan, Esther Tabigue of Mabini, Angelina Simacio of Anda, and Henrietta Gan of Valencia about the implementation of forest development projects in their respective towns starting this year.

Yap hopes that the projects would convey more consciousness among the people and develop their commitment to take part in protecting the environment. “It is a welcome development that will open more livelihood opportunities to our people and the projects will serve as additional strong support to the eco-tourism campaign in project sites as the anchor of tourism in the third district of Bohol,” Yap added. Under the program, the town of Bilar has been chosen to host a clonal nursery to be established in a one-hectare area within Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape in Sitio Logarita. The 11 other towns will develop forest areas in a total of 574 hectares of upland sites and 80 hectares of mangrove areas. The local government of Carmen will develop two upland sites with a total funding of P1,387,112—a 70-hectare site in barangay Alegria with an allocation of P1,184,120 in, and in a 12-hectare site in barangay Nueva Vida Este with an allocation of P 202,992.

The town of Duero will also develop two upland sites for a similar project this year wherein P439,816 has been allocated for the 26-hectare area in barangay Anibongan and P422,900 for a 25-hectare site in barangay Danao. Two target sites have also been identified for forest development in Candijay this year—a 30-hectare upland in barangay Cabadian with allocation of P507,480 and a 40-hectare area for mangroves in barangay Panas with allocation of P676,640. In Mabini, trees will be planted in an 80-hectare upland area in barangay San Roque with a budget of P1,353,280 while a 40-hectare area traversing barangays del Mar and San Jose will be developed into a mangrove forest with a budget of P676,640. Two more sites have been identified in the town of Batuan—both covering a 70-hectare upland areas with budget of P1,184,120 each—one in barangay Behind the Clouds and one in barangay Aloja.

Alicia’s forest development project costing P845,800 will cover 50 hectares in barangay Cayacay. A similar project in Guindulman covering 30 hectares of land in barangay Canhaway has been allocated a budget of P507,480 to be implemented this year. In Valencia, a 30-hectare site has been identified in barangay Maubo for the forest development project with a budget of P507,450. More trees will be planted in an 11-hectare project site in barangay Ewon, Sevilla with allocation of P186,076. In Sierra-Bullones, an area of 30 hectares in barangay Abachanan has been identified for forest development with project cost of P507,480. In barangay Badiang in Anda, an area of 40 hectares will be developed into a mangrove forest with a total project cost of P676,640. Residents around the project sites will be hired to produce and plant the seedlings and do the maintenance routine.