The Annual Million Tree Challenge initiated by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) aimed at protecting six critical watersheds that impact on the water supply in Metro Manila has drawn the support of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu.
Cimatu made the commitment of support in a recent executive conference at the headquarters of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources attended by top DENR officials, MWSS Administrator Reynaldo Velasco and officials of Manila Water and Maynilad.
“I would like to thank and commend MWSS Administrator Velasco for his commitment and advocacy in helping DENR in our mandate to preserve and conserve our environment through this Annual Million Tree Challenge. I am very much honored to become a part of this project. DENR will include this under its National Greening Program (NGP) in the next five years and will make the protection of the identified six watersheds as top priorities,” the DENR chief said.
These watersheds are Angat with a land area of 55,709 ha; Umiray-16,000 ha; Ipo-6,600 ha; La Mesa-2,659 ha; Marikina-28,000 ha, and Laguna de Bay-388,000 ha.
The DENR has identified 143 critical watersheds throughout the country. It is important to note that the forest cover in the country has already dwindled significantly by 328,682 hectares from 7,168,400 ha in 2003 to 6,839,718 ha in 2010 or an annual forest cover loss of 46,954 hectares.