BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The fight against timber poaching by the city government of Bago City in its hinterland barangays of Ilijan and Mailum, which form part of the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park, continues to gain ground with the implementation of its Multi-partite Ecologically Balance and Sustainable Agroforestry Program, which started several years ago, Mayor Nicholas Yulo declared yesterday.
Under their agro-forestry program, “We were able to transform from “brown” to “green” the 100 hectares of forest within the two barangays, after planting it with ‘ipil-ipil’ trees, Yulo, who led Bago City in hosting the 3-day MKNP Festival celebration with the theme “Ang Pagbangon sang Kuminidad, Nasandig sa Pag-amlig sang Dunang Manggad (The community’s recovery lies on the conservation of natural resources),” said.
He recalled that more than 200 families, who primarily relied upon charcoal making for their livelihood, by cutting trees within the MKNP, have been responsible for greening the forest cover within the Bago City areas.
Yulo said the city government provides beneficiaries with financial assistance, seedlings and technology in the tree planting program, and also bought their products.
He said they are now expanding their agro-forestry program to 200 hectares by planting fruit trees such as cacao and coffee, aside from ipil-ipil trees.
Five other member-local government units (LGUs) including La Carlota City, La Castellana, San Carlos City and Murcia in Negros Occidental, as well as Canlaon City in Negros Oriental, also participated in the activity, in collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), among other stakeholders.
It aims to promote ecotourism at the natural park, and is poised to continue to awaken the consciousness of the community, especially on the protection and conservation of the environment, including the MKNP which is considered as the last frontier of the Negros forest.
La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Mangilimutan and Board Member Andrew Martin Yulo Torres also joined the opening ceremony yesterday at the Bago City Bantayan Park.*
