Multimedia exhibit showcases sustainable management of forest resources

TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, October 22 (PIA) -- A three-day audio-visual/photo exhibit dubbed “The Philippine Forests: The Before and What Now?” was conducted on October 14 to 16 at the La Plaza, Tiendesitas Frontera Verde, Pasig City.

The exhibit showcased how to manage forest resources in a sustainable way that would both benefit people and the environment.

Assistant Secretary for Special Projects and Coordinator of the National Greening Program Marlo Mendoza, Director Neria Andin of the DENR Forest Management Bureau and Dr. Bernd-Markus Liss, GIZ Principal Adviser for the REDD Project, were the speakers during the opening program.

The project aims to reduce emission of greenhouse gases by conserving remaining forests, increasing carbon stocks through planting of trees (reforestation and agroforestry), which would lessen upland forest dwellers’ drive to obtain forest resources in unsustainable means such as kaingin and illegal logging.

The exhibit highlighted visually the co-benefits of REDD-Plus to the people through means of employment in forestry activities, plantation harvest and value-adding. REDD-Plus also benefits restoration of biodiversity and ecological services from the environment such as water and climate regulation.

The multimedia exhibit was a joint undertaking of the DENR, GIZ and the Center for Philippine Futuristics Studies and Management and Code REDD, an association of civil society organizations in support to the Philippine National REDD-Plus Strategy.

It is scheduled to be shown in key cities and regions of the country afterwards, Marifel Moyano of GIZ said.

The exhibit is in support of the celebration of the International and National Year of the Forests 2011 with the Motto “Forests for People.”

The disappearance of the globe’s virgin forests, especially those in the tropical zones of South America, South and Southeast Asian regions, and Africa is causing the release of 17 percent of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, which has triggered the current ill effects of climate changes.

The Philippines, in the early 1920s, had more than 20 million hectares of forests out of its total land area of 30 million hectares. It is estimated that only 6 million hectares of natural forests remain today, but less than 1 million of them are still intact. (PIA 8)