The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has partnered with a private corporation to rehabilitate and protect more than 32 hectares of forestland in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan.

DENR regional executive director Ralph Pablo announced Wednesday that the agency signed a memorandum of agreement with V On Wings Inc. for the adoption and greening of a 32.51-hectare site.

The area was previously part of the National Greening Program (NGP) and has now “graduated” to a stage requiring long-term maintenance.

Under the agreement, the site will be planted with fruit trees, indigenous forest species, and timber trees.

“The adoption of a graduated NGP plantation is a significant step toward ensuring continuity of care for reforested areas,” Pablo said. “It emphasizes not only tree planting, but also maintenance, protection, and long-term stewardship.”

V On Wings Inc. has committed to leading the planting and protection efforts, with a target survival rate of at least 85 percent for the trees over a five-year period.

The DENR’s Community Environment and Natural Resources Office in Baliuag will provide technical and scientific assistance, specifically in nursery establishment and seedling production.

Pablo stressed that the collaboration supports nature-based solutions for disaster risk reduction and climate change mitigation.

The NGP was launched in 2011 with the goal of planting 1.5 billion trees across 1.5 million hectares of public land. It was later expanded under Executive Order 193 to target 7.1 million hectares of degraded forestlands by 2028.