2007.9.28

Nueva Vizcaya Forestation Project, Philippines
Findings of the project achievements and the future plans, based on a research study

For six days from June 14th through 19th, Mr.Kunihiro Seido, Technical Advisor of OISCA Japan has onducted a local study of Nueva Vizcaya Forestation Project which has been underway in kirang, Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines. This project started in 1993, aiming at rehabilitation of the multifunctional nature that forests naturally possess, and at the same time promoting local people’s awareness of the importance of reforestation, thereby contributing to the maintenance of livelihoods of their communities.

The Project was launched as Mr. Lopez, a trainee graduate, appealed to the headquarters for initiating a program of forestation. Nueva Vizcaya is called a granary of Luzon, with extensive farm land embraced by favorable environment. The Province also used to be endowed with rich mountain forests. However, due to excessive and illegal cutting of trees, forest fires, overgrazing, conversion of forests to farm land, the formerly vast forests reduced only to 20% of its total land area. Mr. Lopez with a sense of crisis strongly appealed for the needs of forestation, since, he felt, unless rich forests recover, there would be no means of preventing soil erosion, securing irrigation water and securing materials for farming.

In 1993, the Project was commenced with the support of Kita-kyushu Rapport Action, a group of volunteers from Fukuoka, Japan. This initiative was followed by many other volunteer groups to run the forestation project with appropriate management and care.

In his field survey, Mr. Seido examined the conditions of forests planted in different years, in terms of soil, growth, vegetation and so forth. He found that those planted more then ten years earlier, had formed rich forests with diverse undergrowth. He noted healthy eco-system was recovering. He also pointed out that species suitable for a basin should be mahogany which prefers abundant moisture in soil, and those on mountain ridges and easy slopes, eucalyptus should be preferred. Types of trees that belong to acacia planted in areas exposed to brisk winds were intorted, and damages caused by the winds succumbed to infection. Two years after planting an area planted with gemerina and eucalyptus was destroyed by a forest fire, but he found that they had regenerated, proving that those trees were suitable for trees in fire walls. He advised that mowing undergrowth should be carried out at least till the planted trees have grown taller than Kogong, a rapid growing grass. Following advice from Mr. Seido, the staff of the Project planned to plant some local species in future, adopting the method of deep tillage, and application of compost.

Gemerina and the other plants have grown. As a result forest became diverse.