THERE were noticeable improvements in terms of forest cover and air quality over the years, thanks to various environmental programs implemented by the government over time, Environment Secretary Raphael M. Lotilla said.
Speaking to the members of the Senate Committee on Finance, led by Sen. Loren Legarda, Lotilla presented the proposed P28.102 billion budget of the DENR for 2026.
‘This proposed budget in support of the environment means investing in water supply and governance, forest protection and development, biodiversity conservation, improvements in air, land, and water quality, and mineral resources development to ensure food, energy, water, and human security,’ he said.
Lotilla said the DENR remains committed to a science-based, system-oriented, and integrated ecosystem management approach to policy development and program implementation.
He admitted that many areas in environmental protection and conservation, as well as natural resource utilization, need improvement.
However, he said there are also some noticeable improvements, citing increased forest cover and air quality over the years.
‘Insofar as forest cover, the improvement from 2010 to 2020 has been a 5.6 percent increase, and the NAMRIA is scheduled to release the new or updated land cover report for 2025, and we anticipate an even more positive report insofar as forest cover is concerned,’ he said.
‘In terms of particulate matter, there’s an improvement between 2017 to 2024 nationwide; the total suspended particulates improved by 42 percent, and in Metro Manila,’ he said.
‘Of course, these have been achieved over time, not overnight. Given the scale and complexity, we seek the continued support of this honorable committee in advancing our mission to protect, conserve, and manage the country’s environment and natural resources,’ he said.
Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Jonas R. Leones said the National Greening Program (NGP), the flagship reforestation program of the DENR, is not just about reforestation, but is also in response to climate change, and doubles as a livelihood and food security program.
Leones was responding to Legarda’s query as to the original objective and purpose of the NGP, and asked about budget allocations for the NGP over the year since the program started.
Undersecretary Analiza R. Teh said a total of P62 billion has been allocated by the government for the NGP and E-NGP since 2011.
‘From 2011 to 2016, a total of P32 billion has been spent. For the Enhanced NGP from 2017 to 2025, an additional P28 billion has been allocated, which translates to over 2.2 million hectares planted or reforested with 1.8 million trees,’ says Teh.
For the NGP, much of these budget allocations were devoted to the terrestrial environment and the species planted are mostly native species. Under the NGP, agro-forestry crops that include bamboo were also planted.
Legarda, noted that while huge amounts of money were spent on reforestation of the terrestrial environment, very little was spent on coastal reforestation and criticized the DENR for allowing mangrove reforestation in ecosystems where they are not supposed to exist, such as mudflats and seagrass beds.
Legarda also expressed disbelief that of the 2.2 million hectares of denuded and degraded forest areas that have been reforested, only 14,800 hectares are in coastal areas, and 77,000 hectares are beach forests.