House Bill 375, known as the "Billion Trees Act of 2007," recently approved in the House sets a national reforestation program that aims to plant one billion forest and fruit trees in the Philippines in five years, Rep. Genaro Alvarez Jr. (Neg. Occ., 6 th district) said yesterday.

Alvarez, chairman of the House Committee on Reforestation, is among the principal authors of the bill, along with House Speaker Jose de Venecia.

Its counterpart bill is pending deliberation and approval in the Senate, Alvarez added.

The House bill encourages the participation of organized communities, people's organizations, non government organizations, judicial personalities, local government units, upland and coastal families, private individuals and government employees, including members of the Army and police, Alvarez said.

Participants of the program will enjoy the right to harvest, process, sell or utilize the products grown in production forests, he said.

The bill provides that participants in the reforestation program enter into a “Billion Trees Program Contract” with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the enjoyment of rights and technical services from participating government agencies, Alvarez added.

The contract will be effective for 25 years and renewable for another 25, and among the incentives of participants will be exemptions from paying forest charges, taxes on revenue from reforested and protected areas, as well as from real property taxes, Alvarez said.*CPG

back to top