Southern Leyte's scant forest cover serves to inspire photographers

Southern Leyte is home to the Philippines’ few remaining patches of roughly 6.3 million hectares (has.) of forest cover as of 2010, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Multimedia journalists, including two from GMA News Online, recently trekked through the Southern Leyte forest to witness first-hand how forest dwellers are struggling against the forces of environmental destruction.

GMA News Online senior news producer Mark Merueñas (2nd from right) bags the third prize in the DENR-GIZ Photo Essay contest. Beside him are Nonie Reyes of the Business Mirror (1st place) and Jacqueline Hernandez of the Manila Bulletin (2nd place). GIZ

Photo-essays depicting the causes of forest degradation and climate change in the Eastern Visayas province resulted from that expedition. Some were recognized as exemplary works, and are part of the photo-essay tilt and traveling exhibit dubbed Philippine Forests: Before and What Now? Nonie Reyes of Business Mirror bagged top prize. Jacqueline Hernandez of The Manila Bulletin won second honors, Mark Merueñas of GMA News Online claimed third. Rafael Lerma of Philippine Daily Inquirer and Joe Galvez, also of GMA News Online, were among the finalists. The traveling exhibit is organized by the DENR, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and the Center for Philippine Futuristic Studies Management Inc., also known as the Futuristics Center. Remaining forest cover Images shot by Galvez and Merueñas in Southern Leyte are part of a GMA News Online special report on efforts of people who live in forests to conserve and protect the piece of the planet under their care. The photo competition and exhibit are parts of a German government-supported project on “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)" in the Philippines. The United Nations declared 2011 as the International Year of Forests “to raise awareness to strengthen the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests." Last February, President Benigno Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 26 to implement the National Greening Program designed to plant 1.5 billion trees on 1.5 million hectares from 2011 to 2016. The GIZ said, “74 years ago, 60 percent (17.8 million hectares) of the Philippines was covered by forest. By 2003, this had dwindled to 7.17 million hectares. From 2003 to 2005 about 157,000 has. (the size of 3.5 million basketball courts) were lost each year." According to the DENR, Metro Manila has the thinnest forest cover of 2,820 has. Eastern Visayas has some 520,000 has. The Cagayan Valley and the Mimaropa regions have the most forest cover of over a million hectares each. — ELR/VS, GMA News