The government has asked Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for an extension of the P5.87-billion Forestland Management Project (FMP), which was halted due to COVID-19 pandemic.
So far, the project successfully established 71,300 hectares of agroforestry plantation.
A statement noted that cited the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) needs time to complete maintenance works for the protection of established plantations over the mandated three river basins of FMP.
Originally aimed to strengthen forest management in three critical river basins of the Philippines, FMP is about to end in 2022 after having helped the grassroots communities in the uplands.
Upland farmers are usually the poorest among farmers because of their distance to the market.
So far, members of the 149 people’s organizations (PO) have already benefitted economically from FMP.
The POs have also become stronger protectors of the watersheds in the three critical river basins, namely Upper Magat and Cagayan River Basin (Quirino, Cordillera Administrative Region, Ifugao), Upper Pampanga River Basin (Nueva Ecija), and Jalaur River Basin (Iloilo).
“We have a pending request for an extension of one year to complete activities on maintenance and protection of established plantations, construction of agro forestry support facilities, and implementation of the sustainability action plan,” said FMP Project Manager Marlon Atienza. ”The request is made in view of the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic starting the first quarter of calendar year 2020. The request was given approval by the ICC Cabinet Committee through ad referendum and endorsed to Department of Finance,” he added.
According to him, the majority of the project's deliverables of FMP have already been completed from the preparation of management plans, organization, and strengthening of 149 POs to the establishment of 71,300 hectares of tree and agroforestry plantations, organization of watershed management bodies.
“These deliverables are all indicators for measuring the achievement of project objectives. However, we still have to make an assessment of the indicators ," Atienza further said.
The DENR is still completing several road and bridge projects even as it is supposedly in the last year of FMP implementation.