The Department of Environment and Natural Resources' (DENR) seedling production under the Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP) is "on track" and "just in time for planting this rainy season."

DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, citing a report from the Forest Management Bureau (FMB), said they were already able to raise 36 million seedlings for the ENGP, representing almost 80 percent of the 45.2 million seedlings targeted for the entire year under the government’s flagship reforestation program.

"This speaks well of how the DENR and its partners have carried out the ENGP in the face of challenges and constraints created by the pandemic," Cimatu said.

In its report, FMB said the seedling production covers both plantation and indigenous species used for rehabilitation of denuded areas in watershed, mangrove and protected areas as well as commodity species used for the establishment of agroforestry plantations.

As of July 9, indigenous and plantation seedlings reached 20 million (bamboo - 3.4 million; agroforestry - 2.98 million; fruit trees - 1.2 million; fuelwood - 796,600; rubber - 131,775; nipa - 65,000; and ilang-ilang - 50,000).

Commodity seedling species raised during the period include cacao (598,907); coffee (212,047); other high value crops (837,525); mangrove (163,500); and rattan (262,000).

Another 537,638 seedlings came from DENR’s partners in the private sector such as the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines.

The DENR had also raised almost 4,265,662 seedlings at its modernized and mechanized forest nurseries (MMFNs) operating in 10 regions.

As of May, these MMFNs have also produced almost 1 million vegetable seedlings, even as they continue producing native fast-growing forest tree seedlings for planting under the ENGP.