Davao del Norte is celebrating Eco-tourism Month this June in support of the National Greening Program of President Benigno Aquino.
Governor Rodolfo P. del Rosario said the province focuses its eco-tourism month celebration this year in pursuit of the President’s Executive Order No. 26, which aims to recover the country’s depleted forest areas and ensure self-sufficiency in its timber needs.
The government seeks to re-green some 1.5 million hectares by planting 1.5 billion trees nationwide by 2016.
“We are celebrating this year’s Provincial Eco-tourism Month in support of President P-Noy’s national greening program,” Del Rosario said, during the launch of the month-long activity at the sprawling Dacudao Eco-Tourism Park in San Isidro town.
The governor led the tree-planting activity along with the inauguration of the new eco-park view deck at the occasion.
Del Rosario signed Provincial Ordinance No. 2002-009 nine years ago to institutionalize the annual event, in line with the thrust of raising the people’s awareness and participation in his administration’s policy on environmental integrity, protection and sustainability.
Subsequently, he launched the 18-hectare Dacudao Eco-Tourism Park to showcase community-based ecological conservation and sustainable eco-tourism.
The prominent features of the eco-park include the Kabyawan Cave, Datu Kugsing Cave, Sayaw Bat Cave and Tugtuganan Falls.
The governor said this year’s celebration has become more significant with the intensifying efforts on mitigating the effects of climate change and global warming.
He directed the offices of the Capitol to revive and strengthen the barangay tree park program that he started also about nine years ago.
Under the program, each barangay of the province is enjoined to allocate at least one hectare for the establishment of Barangay Tree Parks throughout the province.
“Let us band together to protect our ecosystem and our environment not only for our own benefit, but, most importantly, for the benefit of our future generations,” Del Rosario appealed.
In line with the month-long celebration, provincial environment and natural resources officer Felix Abangin said the provincial launch of the National Greening Program was done last June 3 on the three-hectare accretion area beside the Pangi Bridge in Apokon, Tagum City.
On June 8, the Hijo Resources Corporation will also host the launch of the recycling campaign ‘Isko Basurero’ at the ecotourism area of the Hijo estate in Madaum, Tagum City. On the same day, the province, in coordination with the DENR and the DILG will host the Provincial Youth Summit on Climate Change at the Bulwagan ng Lalawigan.
The province will likewise host a series of tree-growing activities in partnership with the Dana Fresh Agri-Development Inc., together with DENR and DILG.
The collaboration with Dana Fresh Agri-Development Inc., a Filipino-Bahraini joint venture involved in banana exports, banners the public-private partnership component of the P.E.O.P.L.E. development agenda of Gov. Del Rosario.
The tree-growing activities will be held on the banks of the Saug-Madgaw River in Asuncion town on June 13; Sitio Bunawan, Semong, Kapalong – June 20; and, San Jose, Sto. Tomas –June 22.
In partnership with the Philippine Army, the province will again host a Green Brigade seminar benefitting Sangguniang Kabataan officials and members to be held tentatively on June 22-24 in Kapalong Central Elementary School.
The month-long event will culminate during the forthcoming summit of the Philippine League of Local Environment and Natural Resources officers at the Grand Men Seng Hotel in Davao City.
