GEN. TINIO, Nueva Ecija – Some 3,000 narra and mahogany seedlings were planted in the watershed of a newly-built dam in the vicinity of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges in a massive tree-planting activity spearheaded by the National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation System’s (NIA-UPRIIS’) Division III, in partnership with the local government unit here Friday.
Engr. Jose Ariel G. Domingo, manager of the NIA-UPRIIS Division III, said the activity at the watershed area of Upper Tabuating Irrigation Project which is set to irrigate 800 to 1,000 hectares of new service area, was part of the agency’s drive to “green the Philippines the NIA way.”
Both incumbent Mayor Melvin Pascual and incoming Mayor Isidro Pajarillaga of this town led the municipal employees as well as representatives of various sectors and officials of some Japanese firms and other UPRIIS’ divisions.
Community environment and natural resources officer Jimmy Aberin also supported the event.
“Ito ay alinsunod sa programa ni Administrator (Ricardo) Visaya na ginagawa ng lahat ng mga opisina ng NIA sa buong Pilipinas,” Domingo said saying NIA also carries the theme “Tree. Water. Life.”
He said trees in the watershed will protect the dam. “Saka siyempre, pag may puno, may tubig,” Domingo added.
The P440-million dam and reservoir are set to operate within the year to benefit at least 350 farming families in this municipality, particularly in the villages of Nazareth, Bago, Rio Chico, among others.
In line with the tree-planting activity, Pajarillaga also launched the town’s “3 Million Trees in 3 Years” program which aim to reforest the erstwhile logging hotbed of Nueva Ecija, particularly Sierra Madre.
The program, Pajarillaga stressed, involves non-government and civic organizations or private participation. “Beacuse of water sustainability program, makapag-develop tayo ng watershed at yun nga kabundukan na ito, majority dito ay yung Sierra Madre e nakita naman natin kalbung-kalbo na,” Pajarillaga said.
“Ibalik natin yaong dating kagubatan na magkaroon ng buhay, magkaroon uli ng hayop diyan, buhayin muli ang ating mga kailugan, ang mga kabukiran, ang mga taniman natin, ay umagos na muli ang tubig,” he said.
