THE provincial environment and natural resources office (PENRO) has expanded the National Greening Program (NGP), now on its third year, to include commodity base plants such as coffee, cocoa, bamboo and fuel woods to the variety of seedlings to be planted around the province.

Leduina Co, PENRO chief, said in addition to the indigenous plants being planted for the last two years, more commodity base plants will be planted  in 5,700 hectares.

The coffee and cocoa seedlings will be allocated 400 hectares each.

Coffee and cocoa seedlings are being made part in the national program following a memorandum of agreement signed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) with Nestle Phils. last year.

“The two government agencies envisioned our country as a coffee and cocoa producing country that will supply the requirements of Nestle for its products,” Co said.

FUEL WOOD

Meanwhile, PENRO aims to plant fuel woods in 3, 000 hectares.

Co said charcoal remains to be in high demand product since many households in the rural areas still depend on it for cooking their food.

The biggest plantation of fuel woods in Pangasinan is situated in Bolinao.

BAMBOO FOR SCHOOLS

The agency will also plant bamboos in some areas to meet the required quantity of bamboos as mandated by the Department of Education that 25% of furniture, tables and chairs of public schools should be made from engineered bamboos.

“The schools in the province could not actually comply because we are short in supply of bamboos,” Co said.

The PENRO allocated P24 million this year for the NGP.—Dada Martin

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