BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 15) -- The province will be hosting this year's regional launching of the Green Philippines Project(GPP) "Trees for Life" on August 17(Friday), 7 a.m., at the Bangan Hill National Park in barangay Magsaysay in this town.

Forester Roberto Apigo, provincial environment and natural resources officer(PENRO) said Nueva Vizcaya was chosen as the launching area for the GPP in Cagayan Valley because of the favorable weather condition.

"We are lucky because we have sufficient rains here despite the dry spell. And we are chosen to host the regional launching of the GPP because of this, since it ensures the survival of the trees to be planted," Apigo told PIA.

Under the GPP, 20 million endemic tree seedlings will be planted nationwide. From this figure, 1.25 million endemic tree seedlings will be planted in Cagayan Valley region. Nueva Vizcaya's commitment is the planting of 286,730 tree seedlings within the identified 141.09 hectares in the province for 2007.

Apigo said GPP intends to rehabilitate the country's dwindling forest resources, in time with the on set of the dry spell which is also designed as a long term program to mitigate future repeat of the dry spell.

During the regional launching at the Bangan Hill National Park, at least 1,000 seedlings will be initially planted by top regional Department of the Environment and Natural Resources(DENR) officials headed by regional executive director Clarence Baguilat, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officers(PENROs), Community Environment and Natural Resources Officers(CENROs), provincial officials headed by governor Luisa Lloren Cuaresma, the academe, the clergy headed by Bishop Ramon Villena, government employees, students volunteers and people's organizations in the province.

Apigo said the supply of endemic seedlings were sourced out from their seedling production stakeholders such as schools, mining firms and people's organizations who entered into a memorandum of agreement with the DENR.