Camiguin PENRO proposes rehab of areas affected by grass fire

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Camiguin proposed the rehabilitation of the grass areas around Mount Vulcan that was razed by fire last month, said the Philippine Information Agency.

PENRO Technical Services Division Chief Forester Roberto Rufino said the fire incident, which affected at least 61 hectares, is part of the government's National Greening Program (NGP).

“These trees are beyond the maintenance stage but still as tall as the grasses that’s why it was also burned down,” he said.

Rufino has submitted a proposal for the rehabilitation and replanting in the said site.

The NGP is a massive forest rehabilitation program established through Executive Order No. 26 issued on Feb. 24, 2011 by President Benigno Aquino III, which is aimed at planting 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares nationwide within a period of six years, from 2011 to 2016

As to the cause of the grass fires, Rufino said these are always human induced and attributed the occurrence to local bird poachers. — BAP, GMA News