Upland Forest Rehabilitation Project

Through courtesy call and constant communication and meetings, the members of the local government unit and elders of Barangay Central, Ajuy expressed their strong commitment to the immediate recovery of the 20 hectares area of forest land damaged by typhoon Haiyan in 2013 by planting of local species and fruit bearing trees.

In respect with the request of the community leaders, the scheduled environmental seminar last December 2015 was postponed in first week of June, 2016. Since the scheduled tree planting activities is in last week of June, the community leader mentioned that it would be more effective to conduct the seminar few weeks before the actual tree planting activities to further motivate and inspire the local residents.

A total of 4,800 of local species of seedlings and 3,300 fruit bearing trees were purchased to be planted in the area of 20 hectares in Barangay Central. Local species of seedlings include tipolo (Artocarpus blancoi), bayog (Pterospermum diversifolium), bacan(Litsea philippinensis), bayoco(Artocarpus ovatus), narra (Pterocarpus indicus), agi (Ficus laevigata) while fruit bearing trees include cacao (Theobroma cacao), santol(Sandoricum koetjape), jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), camachile (Pithecellobium dulce ), mango(Mangifera indica) and mabolo (Diospyros blancoi).

OISCA Ajuy has prepared a total of 1,000 pots for sowing of madre de cacao (Gliricidia sepium). The madre de cacao seedlings are intended to be planted in open areas without shade at least several weeks earlier than the fruit bearing and local species of seedlings. It will serve as nurse trees and natural shade to the especially to the highly sensitive local species of seedlings. Moreover, since the leaves of madre de cacao are a good source of Nitrogen, it will serve as an organic fertilizer to the local species of fruit bearing trees. The actual tree planting activities is scheduled in last week of June, during the rainy season in Iloilo by the local residents and mobilized volunteers.

Meanwhile, fire lines were made by the project caretakers and local residents of Barangay Badiangan in preparation to the summer season to guarantee the survival of the seedlings planted in the first year of the project. Without rain and the temperature rises up to 37 degrees Celcius, the planted seedlings are vulnerable from forest fires and the fire lines will help prevent the fast spread of fires. Without rain, the caretakers and some of the residents have to water the seedlings individually to prevent them from dying.