CAUAYAN CITY, Isabela - At least P3 million worth of assorted fruit-bearing trees were reduced to ash when forest fires raged over eight hectares of plantation sites in the towns of Ramon and Cordon, this province.
Out of the total number of damaged plantation sites, six hectares were in Barangay Aguinaldo in Ramon while the other two hectares were in Barangay Anonang in Cordon.
The Cagayan Valley office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ordered an investigation on the cause of the fire that destroyed the fruit-bearing trees which were supposed to be part of the sources of livelihood of people living in the said communities.
Based on initial reports, the mango, rambutan and other fruit-bearing trees planted in the said sites were part of the national government's upland development program (UDP).
They were sites of the government intervention program to rehabilitate and effectively manage the denuded mountains of Northern Luzon, DENR Region II officials said.
Initial investigation conducted by the Community Environment and natural Resources Office (CENRO) showed the fires were due to unattended burning of dried leaves in a nearby area which immediately spread to the plantation sites because of the prevailing warm weather triggered by the El Niño phenomenon.
The fire has prompted DENR Region II officials to advise other UDP beneficiaries in the the region to closely monitor their planted tree species in order to avoid the future occurrence of fires partly blamed on the prevalence of the prolonged dry spell.
Earlier, the Regional Development Councils (RDC) in the Cordillera, Ilocos region and Cagayan Valley pledged to work together in implementing an uphill battle to reforest the denuded watersheds and forests in their respective areas of jurisdiction which is part of the national government's intervention to mitigate the worsening effects of global warming, especially to the lucrative agriculture and industrial sectors in the said places.
The aim is the effective "regreening" of barren mountains and vacant lands with fruit-bearing trees from which those maintaining them can derive their income.
