ADOPTING A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP FOR THE PROVINCE-WIDE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TREES FOR LIFE PROGRAM IN THE PROVINCE OF PALAWAN

WHEREAS, Republic Act No. 7611 providing for the Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan mandates the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD to be the lead institutional agency to ensure the adoption and implementation of the such environmental plans, programs and projects as may be necessary for Palawan’s sustainable development;

WHEREAS, by virtue of this legal mandate, the PCSD has undertaken direct environmental conservation enhancement programs in coordination with all local and national agencies in the province of Palawan and in partnership with the private sector and non-government organizations;

WHEREAS, under Republic Act 7611 ‘s total log ban policy and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ forest protection program, and with both public and private sector support, Palawan’s forest cover today as the highest in the country but this could be further increase through massive reforestation of denuded areas;

WHEREAS, there has been in the past a number of successful tree planting programs in Palawan such as the 1988 Keep Palawan Green Project initiated by the First Palawan Development Foundation, Inc. (FPDFI), the 1992 Pista Y ang Kagueban of the Palawan Integrated Area Development Project (PIADP) predecessor of the PCSD, which has been adopted and carried out by the City Government of Puerto Princesa, and the Trees for Life program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) implemented several years ago in the Calamianes Islands as well as those undertaken by local government units themselves and private sector groups;

WHEREAS, the present administration has issued on 24 February 2011 Executive Order No. 26, launching the National Greening Program, which requires the planting of 1.5 Billion trees covering a total of 1.5 Million hectares for a period of 6 years from 2011 to 2016. All students, identified by Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and all government employees are required to plant a minimum of 10 seedlings per year;

WHEREAS, the challenge now, particularly with the ill-effects of climate change is to sustain these collective actions for the long terms to better address the impact of development;

WHEREAS, the public-private partnership for a massive province-wide reforestation program can be carried out by the public sector led by the PCSD, the Provincial Government and the DENR and the private sector involving non-government organizations and private industries in Palawan that affect the environment such as the mining, quarrying and infrastructure industries for the coastal marine enhancement program;

WHEREAS, to formalize this program, a Memorandum of Agreement should be drawn up to be signed by the participating sectors and to ensure the full readiness for its implementation and that the actual launching thereof should be on the 19th of June 2011, which under R.A. 7611 has been set aside as SEP Day in Palawan.

NOW THEREFORE premises considered, be it resolved as it is hereby resolved by the Council:

1. To adopt, as it hereby adopts a public-private partnership for the province-wide implementation of the Trees for Life Program in the Province of Palawan;

2. For PCSD and DENR to jointly implement the program and ensure the full support and participation of national agencies and local government units, the non¬government sector and the private industries in Palawan whose activities affect the terrestrial and coastal marine environment namely the infrastructure, mining, quarrying and the fishing and aquaculture industries;

3. To create the Task Force Trees for Life Program composed of all the participating public and private sector groups which shall immediately be convened to draw up the implementing mechanism for the program,identify and recommend its initial component areas, the provisions of planting materials and all other necessary measures for the effective implementation of the program;

4. To set a date for the multi-sectoral signing of the Memorandum of Agreement among the participating sectors and entities for the implementation of the program;

5. To launch the Program on the 19th day of June 2011 to coincide with and commemorate significance as the SEP Day under Republic Act 7611.

APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 25th day of March 2011 at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

I hereby certify that the above-quoted Resolution has been duly approved and adopted by the PCSD on 25th day of March 2011 at Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.

ROMEO B. DORADO Secretary

APPROVED FOR THE COUNCIL: HON. ABRAHAM KAHLIL B. MITRA              Chair

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