Government will provide poor households in upland areas with jobs and cash for the care and management of upland resources as part of the government’s measures to help ease the burden brought by the global financial crisis.

The Upland Development Project spearheaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for its agro-forestry and reforestation projects will benefit 531 pre-identified households and people’s organizations.

Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Romeo Nalupa said the program aims to provide jobs and support food production such as corn and vegetables, pump prime upland areas with government resources, expand vegetative cover and address climate change.

“The Upland Development is part of the Comprehensive Livelihood and Emergency Employment Program that provide livelihood and jobs to upland communities,” Nalupa said during the ‘Pantongtongan Tayo’ radio program of the Philippine Information Agency.

An identified beneficiary will be given one hectare of land to develop. The average assistance per household or people’s organizations is P32,000 for agro-forestry and P13,000 for reforestation.

Forester Rose Orduña of the DENR provincial office said another component of the program is Bantay Gubat which provides jobs for monitoring and implementation of projects involving natural resources.

Bantay Gubat workers will be given cash-for-work allowance of P3,000 a month for six months. (PIA)

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