DENR allots P5.7 B for National Greening Program for 2013

Tuesday, 31 July 2012 13:23 |

From its P23.62 billion budget recommended by the Department of Budget (DBM) for 2013, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has earmarked some P7.60 billion to boost the agency’s key climate change adaptation and mitigation programs, with the National Greening Program (NGP) getting the lion’s share at P5.7 billion or 75% of total.

“Among the DENR’s key expenditure programs, the NGP enjoys the biggest allocation approved by the DBM which is proof that the Aquino Administration is laying down the necessary requisites to facilitate quicker and more efficient implementation of the NGP,” according to DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje.

This year’s allocation for the greening program amounts to P2.7 billion.

Other programs classified under the climate change initiatives includes forest protection at P251.4 million; protected area management at P81.5 million; coastal and marine resources management at P83.4 million ; biodiversity conservation program at P61 million; and a total of P578 million for clean air (P316,245 million), clean water (P156,275 million) and solid waste program (P105,600).

Also included in the initiatives are the implementation of Manila Bay Operational Plan (P150 million), mapping and remote sensing (P310.6), geo-hazard mapping (P267.7 million), and water resources management (P23.6 million).

DENR is also allotting some P26.58 million budget for Palawan Council for Sustainable Development’s initiatives.

“These initiatives are crucial to improving not only the nation’s environmental integrity but equally the local economy especially in rural areas in light of the administration’s campaign to invigorate the rural economy to increase the country’s economic viability,” Paje stressed.

DENR's 2013 budget for initiatives on climate change and environmental protection takes up some 32 percent of its DBM-approved P23.62 billion.

DENR ranks number 10 among the agencies with the highest proposed budgets for next year, from P17.48 billion, accounting for a 35-percent increase in its 2013 DBM-recommended budget.

The environment chief enumerated three other programs for funding in 2013, namely anti-corruption/transparent, accountable and participatory governance (P770.4 million), rapid, inclusive and sustained economic growth (P2.2 billion) and lasting peace and the rule of law (P92.7 million).

NGP is government's biggest reforestation campaign by far, targeting the reforestation of some 1.5 million hectares of denuded and degraded forestland nationwide from 2011 to 2016 using some 1.5 billion seedlings.

For 2013, NGP is aiming for some 300,000 hectares of forest land across the country using some 150 million seedlings.

NGP activities to be funded under the proposed program budget includes site preparation, operation of clonal nurseries and production areas for mycorrhiza plant growth booster, establishment of seed production areas per region as well as hiring of 1,200 environment and natural resources extension officers and maintenance of seedlings planted in the targeted 300,000 hectares.

EnvironmentNatural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje rallied last week his field officials to ensure the success of the National Greening Program, saying the program has full support of the President.

“There is no reason to fail considering that President Aquino has amply given all the support this program (NGP) needs to succeed,” Paje told the regional executive directors (REDs), regional technical directors, and the provincial and community environment and natural resources officers (PENROs, CENROs) attending the 2-day National Convention of Field Officers held May 31-June 1, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City.

Paje also challenged the field officials “to give their best shot” as their performance in implementing the NGP will be “highly taken into consideration’ in the evaluation of officials for promotions.

“Those who will be performing will be rewarded. Wala pong biro yan,” Paje said, stressing that the field officers will be evaluated fairly based on a purely-merit system “without regard for personal ties or past associations” he has made through over 20 years at the DENR where he started his career as a casual forester.

Paje said the NGP-driven performance-based incentive scheme will first zero in on the PENRO and CENRO positions, with an instruction to DENR Assistant Secretary for Management and Finance Corazon Davis to reserve the vacant PENRO and CENRO posts as rewards for NGP’s top performers especially those that are on an acting capacity.

“If you are a CENRO, you will automatically become a PENRO. Those who are not yet full-pledged CENRO (with temporary appointment), we will make you full-pledged CENROs. Performance lamang, wala nang iba,” Paje stressed.

Of the 168 CENRO plantilla positions, 47 have yet to be filled; while 25 remain vacant in the 73 PENRO plantilla posts.

The incentive scheme forms part of Paje’s overall program to strengthen DENR’s performance-based promotion system to beef up the national leadership’s efforts in professionalizing the Philippine bureaucracy.

But Paje was quick to clarify that the quality of their performance will be determined by the survival of the seedling declared in their performance and not merely on the number of seedling planted.

“Remember, the NGP is a national priority program of President Aquino, and this is not for show but for grow. Gone are the days when tree planting activities were just to set world records or just for photo opportunities,” Paje noted.

At the same time, Paje asked “doubting Thomases” to be forthcoming this early with their hesitation to go all out to meet their targets to allow for management to act appropriately in their particular case.

“We will make sure that everybody performs. Kung sino sa inyo ang tingin ay hindi kayang ipatupad ang programang ito, sabihin na ninyo ngayon,” Paje said.

The performance-based incentive will be based on the field officials’ scorecard in the yearly targets given them and will be validated with the use of state-of-the art technology such as satellite mapping and internet-based technology through NGP’s website at the www.ngp.denr.gov.ph

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