May 13, 2024

Miag-ao, Iloilo, Philippines – May 9, 2024 — Ravaged by deforestation, the Philippines have seen a massive decline in its forest, particularly during the last 124 years. Reforestation is a necessary activity to mitigate the effects of the continuing trend of Global Warming. But restoration of the country’s forest cannot be accomplished by planting trees one at a time.

Despite efforts by government and private initiatives over the decades, the relentless deforestation continues and re-planting of trees is barely making an impact on the problem.

Panay Island in the Philippines is witnessing a hopeful future for the resurgence of its forests. A unique reforestation program, “Re-Greening of Panay,” by Sulu Garden Foundation, Inc. (SGF), is at the heart of this positive change. The program uses a combination of innovative seed ball technology, island-wide collaboration, and cutting-edge drone technology to sow the seeds of a greener future, helping mitigate the effects of climate change one island at a time. And, SGF starts this program from its home island of Panay.

replanting map

Background

Panay’s forests were heavily impacted by human activity very early in its history. In the 1700s, the Spanish Colonial government had decimated over 90% of the island’s big native trees for shipbuilding needed in the Manila-Acapulco trade and also to build smaller ships. This relentless exploitation left Panay’s ecological balance in tatters. Native plants and animals declined precipitously.  In less than half a century the lowland forests of Panay were destroyed. Each galleon required 7,000 hardwood trees. Hence, the rapid destruction of the hardwood forests.  Shipbuilding moved to Cavite and then later to Bicol as the native hardwood forests were decimated there as well.  

The first serious attempt at massive reforestation of this island, called the ‘Greening of Panay’ was undertaken by the Philippine Army at the turn of the 21st century with over a million trees.  The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had the National Greening Program with 2,818 hectares of new forest in Panay in 2022, with an impressive 1,960,743 seedlings planted.  But, the entire island, the 6th largest in the Philippines, comprise 1,201,100 hectares with a large part in hard-to-reach denuded hills, valleys and mountains.  Thus, an alternative method must be employed if we are to successfully reforest the entire island at a faster pace and less cost.

The Plan

SGF’s “Re-Greening Panay” program builds upon this legacy by employing a groundbreaking technique – seed ball technology – that is already finding success in places like Kenya in Africa. for large-scale reforestation.  Seed balls are tiny spheres packed with seeds of native trees. These eco-friendly balls can be easily dispersed across vast areas, by plane, or – most innovatively – by drone. This approach eliminates the need for laborious traditional planting methods and allows SGF to reach previously inaccessible regions. Once dispersed, the outer layer of clay prevents birds and other animals from eating the seeds while offering protection to the seeds from the extreme heat of the dry season.  The seed ball’s clay outer shell dissolves during the rainy season, creating the perfect environment for seed germination. 

The concept of seed ball reforestation

replanting collage

Drone technology is crucial for seed distribution in seed distribution. Human involvement remains central to the program’s success. SGF will collaborate with various stakeholders to achieve this goal. The Philippine Army’s

61st Infantry Battalion [3rd Infantry Division] at Camp Monteclaro in Miag-ao and the Fire Marshall’s Office of Iloilo Province has already signaled their intent to participate in this program.  The invaluable technical and advisory support by DENR Region VI, the provincial governments, and local government units are crucial to the success of this program.  Stakeholders from the private sector are equally important. These collaborations will strengthen the “Re-Greening of Panay” program transforming it into a unified island-wide effort. 

The “Re-Greening of Panay” is envisioned as a five-year program that incorporates a comprehensive monitoring system that uses drones and satellite imagery to determine the progress. This allows for continuous evaluation, ensuring the program remains on track.  SGF has already begun the research and development phase expecting completion of Phase 1 by the end of June 2024.  The granulating machine for seed ball production is already operating. Selecting suitable native tree seeds  and small-scale field trials have already begun to allow for dispersion before the rainy season and post-dispersion evaluation during the 2024 rainy season.

SGF’s “Re-Greening of Panay” program offers a beacon of hope for the island’s complete reforestation. By combining innovative techniques, fostering community collaboration, and state of the art monitoring, this program has the potential to restore Panay’s ecological balance and create a thriving green future for generations to come.

Freshly made seedball with a single kamunsil seed inside

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