The Jalaur River Basin Forestland Management Project covering three towns in Iloilo is a big step in the preservation of the critical habitat of Tinagong Dagat, a freshwater lake in Barangay Cabatangan in Lambunao town.

It was also declared as a Critical Habitat by the local government of Lambuano through a Motion of Understanding executed in April 2011.

The lake has a water area of about 5.2 hectares with a discharge capacity of 160 liters per second.

After a series of inspection at the area, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resource Office of Iloilo discovered there is a high degree of degradation in the forestland near the lake.

But with the Forestland Management Project, the DENR believes that the lake could be saved from further damage.

DENR Assistant Secretary Rommel Abesamis for foreign assisted and special projects, said that part of the development scheme under the project is the reforestation of 5,600 ha of forestland; 3,770 ha for agro-forestry; 1,300 ha for Swc measures and 857 ha for agro-fuelwood.

Per municipality, the total area for development are: 5,870 ha in Calinog; 3,752 in Lambunao and 1,905 ha in Janiuay.

Abesamis noted that the reforestation component of the project is also part of the National Greening Program of the national government.

Through this reforestation, Abesamis noted that the ill-effects of climate change are mitigated, including the denudation of some forests in the country and the protection of the region’s critical habitats like the Tinagong Dagat.

REGREENING ILOILO

Meanwhile, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. is confident that the 1 million target for the Action for Regreening and Transformation program will be achieved with less than two months before the year ends.

Defensor noted that as of October, there are already 850,000 trees planted in the province.

“Ang kakahuyan sang probinsya sang Iloilo amo ang kabuhi sang probinsya,” Defensor said during the launching of the Forestland Management Project in Calinog town on November 17.

The governor also pointed that of the planted trees, 65 percent of which have survived and were continuously monitored by the PENRO and the community.*