ILOILO — With forest cover in the province still far below global sustainability benchmarks, the Iloilo provincial government has begun laying down a long-term, data-driven reforestation strategy aimed at tripling its forest cover and earning the distinction of becoming a “Forest Province” by 2044.
The initiative, spearheaded by the Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO), seeks to raise Iloilo’s forest cover from the current 12 percent to 33 percent — equivalent to about 37,000 to 38,000 hectares — over the next two decades, provincial officials said.
Provincial Administrator Raul Banias said early planning is critical if the province is to close the wide gap between its present condition and its long-term environmental goal.
“The road to 2044 starts with the plans we make today. Today, I sat down with our dedicated PGENRO team led by Atty. Bobbit and Mitzi and our Foresters to do the math of our survival. We are not just talking about planting trees; we are engineering a future,” Banias said.
Banias, PGENRO head Atty. Cesar Emmanuelle Buyco Jr., and senior environmental management specialist Mitzi Peñaflorida met on January 6 to begin crafting a strategic plan that will guide forest development efforts as early as 2026.
PGENRO data show that Iloilo has about 114,000 hectares classified as timberland or forestland. Officials noted that while the target remains ambitious, the province has already made significant progress — its forest cover stood at only around 2 percent in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Rather than relying on sporadic tree-planting activities, Banias emphasized that the province will adopt a scientific, area-based approach to reforestation.
“To bridge that gap, we cannot just plant randomly. We need a strategic, hectares-based battle plan. We are breaking it down year by year, hectare by hectare — mapping out exactly how much mangrove, native forest, and bamboo we need to put in the ground annually to hit our mark,” he explained .
Among the key strategies outlined is the establishment of three large bamboo nurseries across the province, with bamboo positioned as a central component of Iloilo’s re-greening efforts.
“Bamboo is our secret weapon — it grows fast, captures m assive amounts of carbon, and protects our riverbanks. This is the heart of our Re-greening strategy,” Banias said.
The provincial government also plans to integrate Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) and rewilding techniques, allowing degraded and idle lands to recover naturally while being protected from further damage.
“Working with nature, not against it,” Banias said, noting that bald mountains and underutilized lands will be transformed into wildlife corridors and carbon-absorbing landscapes.
He said the program forms part of the broader Tanum Iloilo initiative and aligns with Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.’s long-term environmental vision.
“This is the Tanum Iloilo vision in action. This is the Forest Province dream taking root. Governor Toto Defensor has set the destination. Now, we are building the road to get there,” Banias added./PN
