The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Wednesday began planting 315,100 trees to replace those trees cut to pave the way for the slope protection rockfall netting project in Eastern Samar.

DPWH – Eastern Samar district engineering office chief Ma. Margarita Junia said the target number was a replacement of the 3,151 trees affected by the project meant to prevent erosion along the road that connects Eastern Samar and the Samar provinces.

“We will be busy this year implementing this tree replacement program. In fact, we already had a total of 14,000 saplings of native trees in our nursery, which are ready for the tree planting program,” Junia said in a phone interview.

The tree planting complies with the tree-cutting permit issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which directs the implementing office to replace each cut tree with 100 seedlings.

“With the voluminous requirements of trees to be planted, we are also coordinating (with) the local barangay officials in Taft who will help us in the supply of more seedlings. They will be of great help in this tree replacement program and at the same time, this will provide them an additional source of income,” she added.

Junia said the tree planting activity would cover the roadside from Taft to Arteche towns and in forest lands to be identified by the DENR.

The department put down 3,151 trees for its netting project designed to protect 1.7 km. of road in Eastern Samar from frequent rockfalls.

The 1.7-km. road section is within the road network that links the provincial capitals of Catbalogan City in Samar and Borongan City in Eastern Samar.

Rock netting on unstable rock faces and slopes is a way to contain and control rockslides, protect against the effects of erosion, and improve stability. (PNA)