Employees of the National Irrigation Administration-Cordillera Administrative Region (NIA-CAR) planted 2,000 fruit and forest tree seedlings all over the region during the agency’s synchronized tree planting activity on June 25, 2021.
The tree planting activity is being conducted by NIA in June of each year as part of the agency’s founding anniversary. This year’s tree planting was conducted during the Arbor Day, June 25.
Planting sites in CAR are located in Brgy. Shilan, La Trinidad in Benguet, Brgy. Bumagcat, Tayum in Abra, Brgy. Tupaya, Lagawe in Ifugao, Brgy. Maligcong, Bontoc in Mountain Province, Brgy. Lt. Balag, Pudtol in Apayao and Brgy. San Julian, Tabuk City in Kalinga. Tree planting was also conducted in Brgy. Halag, Aguinaldo in Ifugao by the employees of Alfonso Lista Pump Irrigation Project (ALPIP), one of the big-ticket projects in CAR.
Most of the seedlings were provided by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) while some were provided by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Most of the planting sites were mostly part of the critical watersheds identified by the DENR and also the water sources of national and communal irrigation systems of NIA.
Members of Irrigators’ Associations (IA) also joined the tree planting in other provinces of CAR.
Engr. Benito T. Espique, Jr., NIA-CAR Regional Manager, Ms. Grace A. Fanged, Division Manager for Administrative and Finance, and other officials also planted fruit bearing seedlings on the same day during the turn-over ceremony of the Bayabas Pump Irrigation Project in Pico, La Trinidad, Benguet.