Government

Families Can Get Paid to Develop a Parcel of Land under the National Greening Program

The Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources or DENR thru its Forest Management Bureau has adopted the "Family Approach" as one of the modes of engaging families in the National Greening Program.

This was released under DENR Forest Management Bureau (FMB) Technical Bulletin No. 30 in relation to a Memorandum Circular released on May 6, 2020 from DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu.

About The National Greening Program

The National Greening Program or the NGP as the DENR banner program is a convergence initiative of DA-DAR-DENR where the DENR stands as the lead agency.

As a government priority pursuant to EO Nos. 23 and 26, both series of 2011, the NGP aims to:

  • 1) contribute in reducing poverty among upland and lowland poor households, indigenous peoples, and in coastal and urban areas;
  • 2) implement sustainable management of natural resources through resource conservation, protection, and productivity enhancement;
  • 3) provide food, goods and services such as timber, fiber, non-timber forest products, aesthetic values, air enhancement values, water regulation values, and mitigate climate change by expanding forest cover that serve as carbon sink;
  • 4) promote public awareness as well as instill social and environmental consciousness on the value of forests and watersheds;
  • 5) enhance the formation of positive values among the youth and other partners through shared responsibilities in sustainable management of tree plantations and forest resources, and
  • 6) consolidate and harmonize all greening efforts of the government, civil society, and the private sector.

Executive Order No. 26, series of 2011 was issued to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares of lands of the public domain for a period of six (6) years from CY 2011 to CY 2028.

Executive Order No. 193 was signed on November 12, 2015, the Expanded NGP will rehabilitate all the remaining unproductive, denuded and degraded forestlands estimated at 7.1 million hectares from 2016 to 2028.

According to DENR, its Enhanced National Greening Program or E-NGP has the following priority activities: 1. rehabilitation of 1.2 million hectares of denuded forest lands by 2022, and 2. maintenance and protection of existing forests.

Family is Defined

In its technical bulletin, a family is defined as a group of persons usually living together comprising of the head and other persons related to him or her by blood, marriage, or adoption.

Single Family

A single family consists of a father and mother with unmarried children, or a parent with unmarried children. For purposes of this Program, a single-person household is also considered as a single family. Likewise, unmarried sisters and brothers who are living together are considered one household.

Extended Family

An extended family refers to a household composed of a single family, as defined in the preceding paragraph, together with relatives like the son or daughter-in-law; grandson or granddaughter; and parents or relatives of the head or spouse.

Mode of Engagement

The Department and the individual family contractor shall enter into a Letter of Agreement with a period of three (3) years to develop a parcel of forestland with an area of at least one (1) hectare and at most ten (10) hectares.

Modes for Site Development

Modes for Site Development

Establishment of Forest Plantations

Families are allowed to establish forest plantations composed of timber and non-timber species, like bamboo and rattan. The Department must encourage the use of fast-growing indigenous species within these plantations to ensure the conservation of biodiversity and the integrity of the forest ecosystem.

Establishment of Agroforestry Plantations

Families can establish agroforestry plantations within production forest zones. These plantations can be composed of a combination of timber, non-timber, and high-value crops such as coffee, cacao, rubber, and other fruit trees. Provided, that the area must be planted with more forestry species than high-value crops.

Rehabilitation of Forest Zones

Families can rehabilitate a specific parcel of a given production or protection forest zone using endemic timber and non-timber species indigenous to the area.

Rehabilitation of Mangrove and Beach Forests

Families can rehabilitate specific areas of mangrove and beach forests that are either denuded or degraded. Provided, that the cutting, gathering, or collecting of forest products within these areas shall not be allowed.

The schedule of payments shall be observed by the Department for compensating services rendered in the implementation of this Program.

Note: A retention fee amounting to 10% of the total project cost for 3 years (whole duration of contract).

The aforementioned fee shall be released upon the conduct and submission of the final acceptance and inspection report three months after the second payment for Year 3.

How to Participate?

Send an e-mail to the DENR’s Forest Management Bureau (FMB) at fmbdenr@mozcom.com and officeofthedirector.fmb@gmail.com.

Their head office is in Visayas Avenue, Diliman, 1100 Quezon City, Philippines and you can call them at (632) 8927-4788 / Fax No. (632) 8928-9313.

You may also visit the DENR Regional Office in your area or message their facebook page here.

More information on the Forest Management Bureau can be viewed on their official website here.

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