OPERATION KONTRA BAHA PARENTING STAGE TAKES OFF

The first area being recipient of the Operation Kontra Baha parenting stage is Talomo River. As an offshoot activity, MFSM and LOGSAC have conducted the actual counting of plants that survived last April 9-10, 2010. It took us two days to finish the survey starting from Los Amigos down to Talomo Bucana area. The survey team was composed of 5 LOGSAC members (Julpanz, Papong, Jonas, Pawiks, Butche) and 2 TRIMMOCs (Marvin and Brayn). Listed hereunder are the results of the survey.


FINDINGS/OBSERVATIONS:

1. Survival Rate is very low. This is attributed basically due to the El Nino Phenomenon that wrecked havoc in the early part of year 2010.
2. Other areas conducted with tree planting has become grazing/pasture areas of farm animals such as cow and carabao, thereby causing damage to the plants.
3. Based on verbal reports from the community, there were several instances of flash floods in some areas that caused erosion and landslide which eventually led to the dying of some malibago plants.
4. Still based on verbal reports from the community, no monitoring teams from the barangay government units deployed to monitor the newly-planted seedlings.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Massive replanting should be conducted. Areas recommended for replanting are in Ula, Mintal, Tacunan, Catalunan Grande, Ulas and Talomo. These are the very areas with very minimal or having zero survival rate.
2. The barangay governments should take their part in the monitoring period. They are the very familiar entity in the area that's why they should take the lead in monitoring of the plants.
3. The Memorandum of Agreement should be revisited and check the stipulations especially in the parenting stage. If we keep on planting without care and maintenance, all our efforts will be in vain.
4. The good thing about the project is that there are plants that survived. However, we cannot assure that these plants will survive forever. These plants are still vulnerable to damage and even death. Hence, appropriate actions should be taken this early.