The City Government of Zamboanga successfully completed the 2020 Watershed Rehabilitation/ Reforestation Project amounting to P 600,000.00 on November 3, 2020 within the Pasonanca Watershed Area at Barangay Pasonanca, this city.

This project aimed to plant 33,333 seedlings with planting distance of three meters by three meters to cover the 30 hectares area but the project exceeded its target number planting a total of 33, 702 seedlings of indigenous tree species.  These seedlings consist of 8,170 nato seedlings; 7,000 palo maria seedlings; 9,100 narra seedlings, 3,040 kalunti seedlings; 5,632 mala tambis seedlings; and 760 almon seedlings. All were obtained from the tree nurseries of the Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) and Zamboanga City Water District (ZCWD).

During this month long project, the planters conducted all the activities from round weeding/ brushing, digging of planting holes, hauling of planting materials, propagation and maintenance of seedlings/ wildlings to actual planting of seedlings.

It will be recalled that 50 maintenance personnel of ZCWD were displaced during this pandemic but, through the Watershed Rehabilitation/ Reforestation Project, the City Government of Zamboanga hired these 50 displaced maintenance personnel as Job Order workers who served as the planters of this project.

 

– Fernandez, M. (2020)