BOTOLAN, Zambales — The local government and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have partnered to facilitate site adoption and boost reforestation efforts in an agroforestry area in Barangay San Juan of this town.

The partnership was sealed by a memorandum of agreement (MoA) signed by Mayor Jun Omar Ebdane and DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo.

Pablo said that the 50-hectare adopted site would be planted with fruit trees, indigenous forest trees, and timber species with technical assistance from the DENR.

“The adoption of this site just shows the importance of partnerships in the continued protection and maintenance of our forests through mobilized citizenry. May this inspire others to follow what we have established today for a greener and better future,” Pablo added.

Under the MoA, the DENR  will provide the necessary technical and scientific assistance in nursery establishment and maintenance and seedling production.

For his part, Mayor Jun Omar Ebdane will facilitate site development, planting, maintenance, and protection of the adopted sites and ensure that the plantation will have at least 85% survival rate for five years.

Meanwhile, 30 employees of the DENR recently completed their seven-day Basic Course under the Environment and Natural Resources Academy (ENRA) training program.

The said training is designed to bridge knowledge gaps, calibrate understanding of ENRA laws, and sharpen proficiencies of DENR employees to improve their delivery of services to the public.

As the country’s lead agency in ensuring the effective environmental governance of the Philippines’ environment and natural resources sector, the training centered on different topics to equip the learners with the knowledge and skills they need to better perform their duties and responsibilities as public servants.

The training covered key environmental topics: disaster risk reduction, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable water, forests and mining resource management, along with environmental protection and climate change adaptation.