TO achieve a sustainable, green, and climate-resilient economy, the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has allocated P2.39 billion for the National Greening Program under the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA).
“As mandated by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we will remain committed to attaining inclusive and sustainable transformation toward a greener economy. But we cannot achieve this goal if we will neglect our environment. That’s why, in crafting our national budget, we also put a premium on environmental expenditures.
Kaya naman po ngayong taon, mas tinaasan pa natin ang budget para sa climate change programs and activities,” said Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman.
A banner project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the National Greening Program is a massive forest rehabilitation initiative in pursuit of sustainable development for poverty alleviation, food security, biodiversity conservation, environmental stability, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.
The program covers a land area of 13,565 hectares; 7,249,642 seedlings to be planted; and 158,843 hectares to be maintained.
“Kita naman po natin ngayon pa lamang, ramdam nating lahat ang epekto ng climate change, lalo na ang pagpasok ng El Niño. Kaya paulit-ulit din pong panawagan ng DBM sa bawat ahensya na maglaan sa kanilang budget proposal ng mga provision para sa pagtugon sa climate change,” Secretary Pangandaman added.
To recall, the PBBM administration has allotted P464.5 billion for 2023 to address climate change. This budget is significantly higher by 60.1 percent compared to its P289.7 billion allocation in 2022.