SAN MANUEL—About 100,000 seedlings are expected to be produced at the central forest nursery of the San Roque Watershed Management inaugurated last March 2,  to boost biodiversity.

Ofelia Rovillos, community relations officer of the National Power Corporation (Napocor) at the San Roque Watershed, said in a PUNCH interview that the central forest nursery that sits on a 7,000-square meter area will be the sanctuary of indigenous tree species like banaba, duhat, alibangbang, camantiles, eucalyptus, guyabano, mango, molave, langka, among others.

When these are about knee-high tall, they can already be transplanted at the watershed area (9,500 hectares), she added.

She said students are encouraged to gather and grow seedlings and turn them over to the nursery.

There are 29,000 seedlings presently available at the central forest nursery.

There are four barangays within the watershed area, two are in Benguet while the other two are in San Felipe East in San Nicolas town and in San Roque in San Manuel, Rovillos added.

Tree planting activity is encouraged “so that people, especially the outsiders, can see the watershed and appreciate nature at its best”, Rovillos said.

To ensure the seedlings’ survival and protection, the communities and the military will regularly patrol the area.

“Everything starts here, if watershed is good, production and ecological services will also be good. There will be a universal change for the environment,” Umali said during the inauguration ceremony,“ said Watershed Department Manager Emmanuel Umali. (Eva Visperas with report from PIA)

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