Declaring An Interdepartmental Convergence Initiative For A National Greening Program

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 26

DECLARING AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL CONVERGENCE INITIATIVE FOR A NATIONAL GREENING PROGRAM

WHEREAS, poverty reduction, resource conservation and protection, productivity enhancement, climate change mitigation and adaptation, are among the priority programs of the government;

WHEREAS, there is a need to consolidate and harmonize all greening efforts such as Upland Development Program, Luntiang Pilipinas and similar initiatives of the government, civil society and private sector under a National Greening Program;

WHEREAS, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is the primary agency responsible for the conservation, management, development and proper use of the country’s environmental and natural resources;

WHEREAS, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is the lead agency to boost farmers’ income and reduce poverty in the rural sector;

WHEREAS, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is the lead agency in the implementation of agrarian reform and sustainable rural development programs;

WHEREAS, the DA, DENR, DAR pursuant to Joint Memorandum Circular No. 1 series 2010 have adopted a Convergence Initiative to integrate and...

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Summary of Executive Order No. 26

Declaration of Policy (Section 1)
- The State shall pursue sustainable development for poverty reduction, food security, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Coverage (Section 2)
- The National Greening Program (NGP) shall plant 1.5 billion trees covering 1.5 million hectares from 2011 to 2016 in the following lands:
• Forestlands (Section 2.1)
• Mangrove and protected areas (Section 2.2)
• Ancestral domains (Section 2.3)
• Civil and military reservations (Section 2.4)
• Urban areas under the greening plan of the LGUs (Section 2.5)
• Inactive and abandoned mine sites (Section 2.6)
• Other suitable lands (Section 2.7)
- All other greening efforts of the private sector and civil society shall be harmonized under the NGP (Section 2).

Strategies (Section 3)
• Social Mobilization (Section 3.1)
- All students, government employees, private sectors, and civil society groups shall plant a minimum of 10 seedlings per year in designated areas (Section 3.1.1).
- Peoples' Organizations (POs) shall be given the primary responsibility of maintaining and protecting the established plantations (Section 3.1.2).
• Harmonization of Initiatives (Section 3.2)
- All tree planting initiatives shall be harmonized under the NGP (Section 3.2.1).
- Government institutions shall produce appropriate quality seedlings annually for the NGP (Section 3.2.2).
• Provision of Incentives (Section 3.3)
- All proceeds from agroforestry plantations shall accrue to the NGP beneficiary communities (Section 3.3.1).
- NGP beneficiary communities shall be considered priority in the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program (Section 3.3.2).
- Appropriate incentives shall be developed to encourage rainforestation, particularly in the protected area (Section 3.3.3).
• Monitoring and Management of Database (Section 3.4)
- DA, DAR, DENR shall develop a centralized database and provide regular monitoring and timely report on the progress of the NGP (Section 3.4.1).
- The Convergence Initiative shall engage the private sector, civil society and academe in the monitoring and evaluation of the NGP (Section 3.4.2).

Oversight Committee and Lead Agency (Section 4)
- The Steering Committee under the DA-DAR-DENR Convergence Initiative shall constitute the NGP Oversight Committee, chaired by the DENR.
- The DENR shall be the lead agency for the NGP.

Partner Agencies/Stakeholders and Responsibilities (Section 5)
- DA-DAR-DENR (Section 5.1)
- Department of Education (DepEd)/ Commission on Higher Education (CHED) (Section 5.2)
- Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) (Section 5.3)
- Department of Budget and Management (DBM) (Section 5.4)
- Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) (Section 5.5)
- Local Government Units (LGUs) (Section 5.6)
- Department of Health (DOH) (Section 5.7)
- Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) (Section 5.8)
- Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) (Section 5.9)
- Department of National Defense (DND) (Section 5.10)
- Department of Science and Technology (DOST) (Section 5.11)
- Department of Justice (DOJ) (Section 5.12)
- National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) (Section 5.13)
- Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) (Section 5.14)
- Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) (Section 5.15)
- All other government agencies, instrumentalities, including government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), shall provide full support and assistance to the NGP (Section 5.16).

Implementing Guidelines (Section 6)
- All participating agencies/institutions shall issue their respective guidelines to implement the NGP within 15 days from the date of this Executive Order.

Funding Mechanisms (Section 7)
- Funds needed for the implementation of the NGP for the current year shall be provided by the DBM.
- Funding for the succeeding years shall be incorporated in the regular appropriation of participating agencies.

Separability Clause (Section 8)
- Any portion or provision of this Executive Order that may be declared unconstitutional shall not have the effect of nullifying other provisions hereof, as long as such remaining portions can still subsist and can be given effect in their entirety.

Repealing Clause (Section 9)
- All rules and regulations and other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Executive Order, are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

Effectivity (Section 10)
- This Executive Order shall take effect immediately upon its publication in a newspaper of general circulation.