Josiah Antonio - The Philippine Star
October 19, 2026 | 12:00am
People visit the Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal yesterday. The 54-megawatt wind farm features 27 wind turbines that generate renewable electricity for the Luzon grid.
Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has stepped up its mitigation efforts on watershed restoration and forest protection to address water supply concerns amid El Niño.
The DENR said it is expanding forest protection patrols and accelerating targeted reforestation across critical watersheds nationwide to help forests retain water, regulate streamflow, reduce soil erosion and recharge depleted aquifers.
The effort combines the restoration of degraded and fire-damaged areas with measures to keep newly planted trees alive and protect existing forests.
DENR chief Juan Miguel Cuna said the DENR is mobilizing local communities, civil society groups, Indigenous Cultural Communities and field personnel to maintain forest cover and strengthen the natural systems that support water security.
In Central Luzon, DENR is carrying out forest restoration activities across critical watersheds in Aurora, Bataan, Nueva Ecija and Zambales.
In Nueva Ecija, the Manila Bay Site Coordinating and Management Office is inspecting established narra plantations to assess seedling survival rates and soil moisture conditions under elevated heat indices.
In the Bicol region, DENR offices are combining new tree-growing activities with measures to improve the survival of existing plantations.
In Masbate, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office partnered with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Bicol Chapter, local government units and the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office to plant more than 16,750 indigenous and mangrove seedlings across 50 hectares in the province’s second and third districts.
In Camarines Norte, DENR field officers require contractors under the Enhanced National Greening Program to establish plantations to replace dead seedlings and follow supplemental watering schedules to improve the tree survival under dry conditions.
In the Caraga region, field units are prioritizing the rehabilitation of fire-affected peatlands, riverbanks and protected areas.
Protecting existing watersheds is also essential to securing water supplies, as in Davao City, the Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. and the Obu-Manuvu Indigenous Cultural Community conducted a comprehensive habitat assessment of the Panigan-Tamugan Sub-watershed, which serves as the city’s primary source of potable water.
In another development, the Department of Labor and Employment is preparing advisories on workplace safety during El Niño, with measures meant to protect workers from extreme heat without cutting their pay.
Senseless remedy
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers yesterday called the decision of the Department of Education to allow students to wear sleeveless shirts as a “senseless remedy” to the effects of super El Niño.
In a statement, ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said the Marcos administration and DepEd are resorting to superficial measures instead of addressing the systemic neglect that leaves public schools ill-equipped to withstand extreme weather and climate-related hazards. — Delon Porcalla, Christine Boton, Evelyn Macairan