Reforestration Administration Notes

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Part of Forestry Leaves

Title: Reforestration Administration Notes
Language: English
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Fulltext: REFORESTATIO ADMINISTRATION Forester Vicente Caguioa, chief, Statistics and Extension Division of the Reforestation Administration, retired last November 5, after 45 years of public service. Starting as a temporary ranger in the Bureau of Forestry in 1919, he was promoted to different important positions like Forester, Chief of Section, Forestry Supervisor II, and Assistant Forestry Division Chief. When the Reforestation Administration was created in 1960 by virtue of Republic Act No. 2706, he was appointed as Plant Research Coordinator and .subsequently became chief of the Statistics and Extension Division. Forester Caguioa is a holder of a Ranger Certificate from the U. P. College of Foresrty, Bachelor of Science in Forestry from the University of Montana, and Master of Forestry from Yale University. He is affiliated to the National Researcn Council of the Philippines, Society of Filipino Foresters and Society for the Advancement of Science in which societies he made considerable contributions. In line with the policy of the Reforestation Administration to plant useful economic trees for the self-sufficiency of the agency. Forester Buenaventura Vidad of the Amas reforestation project in Cotabato is reforesting the denuded and open lands to rubber trees. Recently, he reported that the project has reforested more or less 100 hectares already. He plans to cover about 500 hectares of his 1,115 project to rubber. Forester Vidad informed Administrator Viado of the Reforestation Administration that after six years, the rubber trees would be ready for tap" ping. Rubber trees, lumbang benguet pine, alrnaciga, paper mulberry, and albizzia falcata ife among the species used for reforestation purposes which has economic values. Rubber trees are the source of latex, lumbang oil comes from lumbang, resins, populary !mown as Manila copal is derived from alrnaciga trees, silk cocoons from paper mulberry, and albizzia falcata is one of the most promising species now, as a material in the production and manufacutre of pulp and paper. Albizzia falMOVING-UP DAY ISSUE-1965 cata is a fast growing species. It can be harvested in ten years more or less after planting for pulp production. The planting of economic trees for reforestation is being undertaken by the Reforestation Administration through its various reforestation projects scattered all over the country. Silviculture class students wider Professors Teodoro Delizo and Irineo Domingo of the University of the Philippines, College of Forestry observed actual reforestation field activities and nursery operations recently at the various projects and nurseries of region I. The more than 100 forestry students made an educational tour of the projects in Caniaw, La Union, Kennon, and the cooperative projects in Baguio. A series of lectures and actual demonstrations on the upgraded and improved techniques in planting was conducted by regional officer Ciriaco A. Galutira for the benefit of the students. The two-week guided tour was a requirement for the training of forestry students taking Silviculture courses at the U. P. College of Forestry. RUBBER SEEDS REMAIN VIABLE IN PLASTIC BAGS Rubber seeds stored in plastic bags for four months remained viable. This was found after a series of experiments by Ong Thian Pa and Lauw Ing Koen of the Research Institute for estate crops in Bogor, Indonesia. Rubber seeds are short-lived and it has not been possible to lengthen their period of viability. Ordinarily, the seeds lose their germination capacity after two weeks. The Indonesian scientists have found it possible to conserve the viability of rubber seeds for 4 months by storing them in small sealed plastic bags in quantities of 50 to 180. They use fresh seeds just picked from the trees in their experiments. Page 95 Other methods tried were coating the fruits with paraffin, low temperature storage, storing in carbon dioxide, storing with damp quicklime and storage in water. Storage in plastic bags was founrl the most promising. A short convocation and program marked the celebration of the Christmas holiday season at the Reforestation Administration. The program was highlighted by several skits, special numbers, and a free luncheon. The A~ counting Division was awarded the first prize in the skit contest with the Budget and Fiscal Division and the Statistics and Extension Division obtaining the second and third prizes respectively. The prizes were awarded by Mrs. Jose Viado, ;issisted by Forester Regulo Bala who played Santa Claus. Documentary films which included the "Visit of Mrs. Kennedy to India, "Mass for Kennedy," and "The History of the White House" were shown. Make Money tcith lpil lpil The ipil ipil trees you plant today will assure you of continuous income three years after. Administrator Jose Viado of the Reforestation Administration says that people who have followed this advice are now earning upward of Pl5.00 per day. From Ilocos Norte in the north to Nueva Ecija in the south, disciples of the ipil ipil project are now supplying the more than 33,000 tobacco flue-curing barns with firewood conservatively '"alued at PIO million a year, according to the administrator. An added beauty to the project is the complete lack of marketing problems. Firewood business is brisk business and at P8.00 per cubic meter, the bundle is sold before the wood gatherer can say "ipil ipil". Administrator Viado explains that planting ;_pi! ipil involves very little effort and a minimal sum of money. After cutting the thick grassess like cogon, the prospective investor can start spreading the seeds which now cost around 'P'.50 per liter. Ordinarily, a hectare of barren land needs about one-half cavan of ipil ipil seeds. Consequently, the investment thrown into the project amounts to a little more than 'P'l8.00, according to him. The growing ipil ipil trees can be left entirely to nature insofar as care is concerned. After all they can survive in the most sever climatic conditions obtaining in any region. However, they must Page 96 be protected from stray animals like carabaos and goats since ~he leaves are too delicious to be ignored by them, administrator Viado warns. Three years and the trees are ready for initial cutting. Every year hence, all the investor will do is to cut and sell and bag the money for the economic and social comfort of his family, the administrator says. Roman B. Valera, Chief of the Technical St>r,·ices Division was one of the Philippine delegates to the Fourth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Far East held at the Philamlife Building, Manila, recently. Twenty nine countries were represented in this conference including three observers from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Society of Photogrammetry and International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics. The primary objective of this Conference, according to Forester Valera, is to exchange information especially among the developing countries regarding cartography. He emphasized the important role of cartography in modem society and in the economic development of the country. The Philippine will profit much from this conference since we have started to be more systematic in cartographic activities with the creation of the Board of Technical Surveys and Mapping which assists and coordinate different government agencies in surveying and map-making activities. Valera also pointed out that several countries have already organized training centers in surveying and mapping, and in Bangkok, there is a map Information Office. Several countries had already made headway along cartography viewed from their exihibits displayed during the conference. The conference will not only improve cartographic work but also achieve the establishment of standards for mapping, he concluded. Nine foresters of the Reforestation Administration who participated in the seminar on Communication Methods and Techniques held at the DANR building completed the two-weeks training course last December 19, 1964. The seminar which started December 7 was sponsored by the General Forestry Committee on Public Education and Information in Forestry. The participants, were Resureccion Astudillo, Guillermo Cabanero, Isidro Esteban, Antonio Glori, Carlos Glori, Oscar Hamada, Jose Rayos, Lope Reyes and Pedro Salazar. The seminar was a part of a series of activities and programs planned by the Committee in effecting a more competent, adequate and comprehensive extension work in forestry. FORESTRY LEAVES It was expected that the two-weeks training course will give the participants a knowledge about the basic things involved in the use of the mass media employed in extension work, as in the field of writing, public speaking, newspaper work, radio work, audio-visual aids, and others. The seminar was participated in by representatives of the different agencies under the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, namPly; the Reforestation Administration, Bureau of Forestry, Parks and Wildlife Office, Forest Products Research Institute, U. P. College of Forestry, and the Bureau of Agriculture Economics. The Reforestation Administration's research program is now going full blast following the c,stablishment of the Montalban Research Center in Rizal. Forester Roman B. Valera, Chief of the Technical Services Division has instructed forest scientists Jose Rayos, Leonardo D. Angeles, Isidro D. Esteban, and Carlos Villa Glori to intensify research work especially on the radiation of seeds for the production of beneficial atomic trees or mutants. Valera said that his forest scientists are also conducting experiments on the propagation of forest species suitable for reforestation purposes. One of the goals now is the determination of the quantity of seeds needed to raise given number of seedlings, he said. Insofar as atomic trees under experimentation are concerned, the researchers came out with a preliminary observation that irradiated seeds produce bigger seedlings and grow faster than those that are naturally raised in the nurseries. This is a good sign of success and if properly pursued, the experiments might still change the practice of 1eforestation in the Philippines, the scientists predicted. Meanwhile, Forester Valera has urged Administrator Jose Viado to establish research centers· in the eight regions under the Reforestation Administration. The plan will facilitate reforestation to a great extent since more studies on silvics and silviculutre, watershed management, and geneti~s will be conducted, he pointed out. The practice of forestry in New Zealand is so far advanced that ours cannot even be compared. This was the general impression gathered from Administrator Jose Viado upon his arrival from a two-week Asia Pacific Forestry Congress in that country. MOVING-UP DAY ISSUE-1965 According to the administrator, forestry as practiced by the New Zealanders is comparable to those of the United States and Germany insofar as modern techniques in forest management, silviculture, and forest research are concerned. They place great emphasis on these fields, hence they have already considerably progressed in covering their timberlands with forest vegetation consisting mostly of exotic species or forest trees of foreign origin, he said. Administrator Viado also reported that forest conservation is one of the greatest concerns of New Zealand. The people value forest trees as much as the value their food crops. As a matter of fact, most of their forests are not what we term as virgin forests but are man-made ones. They are well protected and as a result, forest destruction which is sadly rampant in the Philippines is down to the minimum in New Zealand, he explained. The administrator considered that the intensive forestry practice in that country is reaping economic returns for the government. The luxurious growth of their man-made forests have enabled the New Zealanders to export surplus timber to other countries, he pointed out. Erosion, water lack, floods, and droughts which are commonly felt here in the Philippines are almost unknown in New Zealand. This is because the ills are checked immediately. Watersheds are constantly inspected for any sign of forest destruction after which reforestation is speedily implemented to correct the damage, he observed. The areas which have already been denuded beyond the hope of natural restoration to forest growth must be rejuvenated through the process of reforestation, and these areas are of such extent that they constitute a long-range challenge lo the Reforestation Administration. Thus Secretary Jose Y. Feliciano of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources said during the recent convocation marking the fourth foundation anniversary of the Reforestation Administration. Commending Administrator Jose Viado for the agency's past performance in the field of forest reclamation, Feliciano believed that the socio-economic program of President Diosdado Macapagal is depending greatly for its success on reforestation. He said he is glad that with the administra! tion's program as the immediate frame of reference, the Reforestation Administration is proceedPage 97 ing in the direction. In 19Gl, with an appropriati.m of P'4 million, it was able to reforest more than 12,000 hectares. In 1962, despite a slightly smaller appropriation of a little over P'4 million, it increased its reforestation coverage by 14,000 hectares. In 1963, with an outlay of P'7.4 million pesos, it boosted its production by 35,000 hectares. "I understand that the accomplishments for the year 1964 promises to be more encouraging and for this, you deserve recognition because your task remains to be tremendous both in magnitude and importance," he said. FPRI Highlights (Continued from page 94) other information on veneer and plywood manufacture. It was gathered that the first two companies both located at Palanan, Isabela, have 50,000 hectares each of forest concessions bordering rhe Palanan Bay but located on the opposite sides of the Palanan river. Their present operations are confined to logging. Timber inventory in the two consessions is still in progress, although the timber stand appears very poor even in the so-called Palanan valley. Ninety per cent of the timber consist of red lauan, tangile and white lauan which are almost of the sinker type, especially red lauan. Actual survey of the locality revealed that most of the trees are cf noncommercial or of pulpwood sizes. Red and yellow narra and a small quantity <'f dao are in good stand on the low altitudes, along the Palanan river, and almaciga, on the higher altitudes and ridges. Timber inventory and further veneering and plywood manufacturing tests are necessary before the two companies could establish a processing plant as required of them by the Bureau of Forestry. This necessitated their seeking the Institute's service to conduct rotary veneer-cutting and drying studies as well as manufacturing tests. VISITORS: Foreigners who visited the Institute were impressed by the progress of the work as Page 98 In behalf of the agency, administrator Via,lo told the DANI;\ Secretary that given government and public support, the · Reforestation Administration will be able to restore the country's barren areas to forest vegetation. It is the goal of the agency to implement the five-year socio-economic program of the administration by hastening fore~t reclamation. We know only well that if we succeed in reforestation, agriculture, industrial projects and other enterprises dependent upon water and electricity will be boosted. With the progress along these endeavors, through reforestation, the country faces a better life economically and socially, he concluded. well as by the hospitality of Director Monsalud and his staff. Among them were: Dr. Richard Hine, head, department of plant pathology, University of Hawaii, Honolulu; Gertrude Lienkaemper of Kansas State University who inquired about woods for interior decoration; Mr. & Mrs. Ray Bennet, Dr. A.J. Grant, Mr. Henneth Max Hawkins, American missionaries of Bethany Hospital, who inquired about Philippine woods suitable for boatmaking; Drs. Kenneth Turk and Herbert Everett of Cornell University, on detail at UPCA who made observations on the progress of the work at the Institute; Sri Octavi Baron of Djakarta, Indonesia, Tai Hyung Min of Seoul, Korea, Yueh-Eh Chen of Taipei, Taiwan, C.J. Lee of Taipei, Republic of China, William Chee Fook Onn of Singapore, J. Arurnhinathan of Malaysia, and G.J. Thompson of Bangkok, Thailand, who made a general tour; Gunner Lofgren of Phya Thai Court who made inquiries on wood-base panel products; Mr. Robin Mackay of the American Hardwood C..ompany who made inquiries on the properties of the different wood species; J.W. Martin of Washington, D.C., Tatsuo Ohira, Katsuhiro Suzaki, Masaru Iwani of Tokyo University of Agriculture, Arnold Wexler, UNESCO Consultant, Washington, D.C., Mani! Foomfug, S. Choom Dunga, Tow Kumtake, 0. Lam Sannana of Thailand, Helen Charchill of Hollins College, Virginia, U.S.A., and Tanoo Vicharangsan of Bangkok, Thailand. FORESTRY LEAVES