Japan extends Vizcaya forest management program

MANILA, Philippines — Buoyed by the good progress made so far, Japan will extend a participatory forest management program for Nueva Vizcaya's watershed,a the Japanese Embassy has announced. In a statement posted on its website, the Japanese embassy said the decision also stemmed from the requests of residents in towns and cities in the area. "Given the remarkable progress of the project as observed during the interim evaluation and the site visit conducted by the Embassy of Japan and upon strong request of participating municipalities, barangays and farmers, the Embassy has decided to extend the project and to provide additional funding to the local-based efforts for establishing sustainable forest management in Nueva Vizcaya," said the statement. Japanese ambassador to the Philippines Makoto Katsura and Makiko Soma, project manager of the Japanese GLM Institute, signed a grant contract for the project Feb. 2. The contract for the project, dubbed "Promotion of Participatory Forest Management in the Critical Watershed of Nueva Vizcaya Province Phase II," was signed at the Japanese Embassy in Metro Manila. Under the contract, Japan will grant $173,131 (P8.1 million) from the "Grant Assistance for Japanese NGO Projects" under Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA). "Around 500 families in the municipalities of Kayapa, Dupax del Sur, Santa Fe and Kasibu in the Province will benefit from this project," the statement said. While Nueva Vizcaya has abundant forest resources and a sanctuary of rich biodiversity, the devastation of its forests became severe due to illegal logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, and lack of appropriate sustainable forest management. The technology introduced to the communities through this project is indigenous. "The second phase of the project ... will enhance sustainable forest management in the sites through the construction of small scale community-irrigation systems, the establishment of sustainable agricultural practices such as dissemination of composting, and further training to enhance environmental awareness of local populations and school children, among others. In phase II, it is expected that the farmers who have been participating since last year will act as catalysts or mentors to other farmers," the statement said. Japan's support to the forestry sector in the Philippines focused on the establishment and enhancement of sustainable forest management through various projects such as Forestry Sector Project through Japanese ODA loans and technical cooperation through JICA, among others. The GLM Institute has contributed to sustainable forest resource management in the upland communities of Nueva Vizcaya since 2002 in close cooperation with Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM). - GMANews.TV