DENR SETS ASIDE P347M FOR COASTAL FOREST REHABILITATION IN EASTERN VISAYAS

postdateiconWednesday, 27 November 2013 00:00 | Print

Environment Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje has announced that the government, through the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will earmark some P347 million for the restoration of
mangrove and natural beach forests in coastal areas battered by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Paje said this massive coastal rehabilitation program shall cover worst-hit areas in the Eastern Visayas
region, particularly the province of Leyte and its capital Tacloban City.

“Tacloban is a major concern given its being a major population center, but the undertaking will cover
practically the entire eastern seaboard of Eastern Visayas,” Paje said.

He said the main objective is to restore the region’s degraded coastal forests to make its coastlines less
vulnerable to extreme weather events.

“It is clear in the law that we cannot allow people to build houses in areas for mangroves and beach
forest,” said Paje, referring to Presidential Decreee No. 1067, also known as the Philippine Water Code.

Article 51 of said water code states that “banks of rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and
lakes throughout their entire length and within a zone of three meters in urban areas, 20 meters in
agricultural areas and 40 meters in forest areas, along their margins are subject to the easement of
public use in the interest of recreation, navigation, floatage, fishing and salvage.”

Paje said the situation in Leyte and in Eastern Visayas “necessitates a display of political will from their
local government officials to restore their mangrove areas and beach forests,” said Paje, noting that the
affected coastlines were once mangroves and beach forest areas but were converted mostly into
settlement areas by informal settlers or for development activities.

“Had the mangroves in Leyte and Eastern Samar not been decimated, the storm surge in those areas
would have been dissipated by 70 to 80 percent of its strength,” explained Paje, citing a study by the
Department of Science and Technology (DOST) which indicates that the “strength of an eight- meter
storm surge is concentrated within the lower six meters with the upper two meters as only having tidal
currents.”

The surge can only destroy the leaves, but it cannot uproot the mangroves because they are so deep-
rooted and strong that they will regrow in time,” said Paje. He also stressed that mangroves are natural
barriers against tsunamis, storm surge and other wave action, and therefore, should not be destroyed.

under the plan, some 19 million seedlings and propagules from mangrove trees and beach forest species
like Talisay will be planted over 1,900 hectares of coastline under the National Greening Program.

According to Paje, about 80 percent of the allocation will be used for the government’s cash-for-work
program for typhoon survivors, who will take part in seedling production, planting site preparation,
actual planting and maintenance of mangrove and beach forest areas.
“Restoring the coastal forests in Eastern Visayas will set the foundation for the reconstruction and
recovery of both coastal communities and urban areas in the province,” Paje explained. “We will design
it properly and have it approved by concerned local government units.”

The environment chief said that the establishment of “coastal green belts” will be done in clusters to
allow fisher folk access to the shorelines, as well as other sustainable activities like ecotourism and
coastal management.

He said the budget proposal is awaiting approval by the National Economic Development Authority
(NEDA).

Earlier, President Benigno Aquino III directed Paje to devise a comprehensive environment protection
program to minimize the impact of storm surges, flooding and calamities following Yolanda’s devastation.

Other areas covered by the coastal rehabilitation plan are Dulag town in Leyte; municipalities of Guiuan,
Llorente and Balangiga in Eastern Samar. #