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Thursday, October 18, 2012

DENR orders forest guards to be on look-out vs forest pests


By Jocelyn P. Alvarez

PAGADIAN CITY, Oct. 18 (PIA) - - To keep the country’s forests free from pest infestation, Environment Secretary Ramon J.P Paje tasked forest guards to act as vanguards for signs of forest pest damage due to insect or fungi infestation, this revealed Roservirico Tan, Chief, Regional Public Affairs office, Department of Environment and Natural Resources 9 (DENR).

Tan said forest guards were tasked to be on look-out of such forest “menace” while doing their regular surveillance duties.

“Aside from illegal loggers, a new enemy has been added to the order of battle issued to government forest guards -- malevolent forest fungi and insect, or collectively known as forest pests,” said Tan.

Tan informed that “DENR will activate a nationwide early warning surveillance system against incidence or potential outbreaks of pest infestation in our forests.”

He said this effort is being done to ensure the ‘health’ of the country’s forests.
“We have to put in mind that the National Greening program (NGP) of the Aquino administration targets to cover 1.5millon hectares by 2016 and DENR intends not just to plant seedlings but to grow healthy trees as well.”

With this development, “DENR will be hiring additional forests guards to ensure that the surveillance system is carried out well,” the active information chief informed. (JPA/PIA9)