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)