Leyte Farmers Bring a Forest Back

Posted on October 3, 2026 at 9:30 am

Tacloban City — Farmers in Capoocan, Leyte are taking part in an effort to restore 60 hectares of degraded forestland in Barangays Visares and Sto. Niño.

Members of the Visares and Sto. Niño Farmers Association (VISFA) will help raise and plant seedlings, maintain the planting areas, and protect the site as the forest recovers.

Their work is part of a three-year partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region VIII and Energy Development Corporation (EDC).

The groups signed a memorandum of agreement on August 26 in support of the DENR’s Forests for Life: 5 Million Trees by 2028 Program.

EDC will support the production and planting of 45,000 seedlings in the two barangays.

For the farmers, however, the work will not end with a tree-planting activity.

Restoring the forest

The 60-hectare area is made up of grassland, brushland and patches of open-canopy forest. A site assessment also found native trees already growing in some parts of the area.

Where indigenous trees are naturally coming back, the project will use assisted natural regeneration to help them grow.

Other portions will be planted with native species such as hindang (Ficus callosa), yakal (Shorea astylosa) and lauan (Shorea spp.).

The species were selected based on their presence in the area and their suitability to the local soil, climate and terrain.

VISFA members will help care for the planting areas, including replacing dead seedlings, clearing weeds and brush, establishing firelines and conducting patrols.

The area faces several threats. The assessment identified illegal tree cutting and kaingin, or slash-and-burn farming, while some exposed and sloping portions show signs of soil erosion.

A satellite nursery is also being planned near the planting area, where seedlings can be raised and prepared before they are transferred to the site.

The community’s role

For the farmers, being part of the project means having a role in what happens to the forest after the planting is over.

EDC Assistant Vice President and Head of Corporate Support Functions Atty. Allan V. Barcena said the people living near the forest are important to its protection.

“No forest project succeeds without the people who live alongside it,” Barcena said during the signing of the agreement.

He also thanked VISFA Chairman Christian Mercoleta and the association’s members for taking part.

DENR will provide government oversight, while EDC will support seedling production, planting and other restoration activities. Local government units will also be involved in implementing and protecting the area.

The partners will assess the condition and growth of the planted trees and watch for pests and diseases. They will also track changes in carbon stocks.

The project may provide livelihood opportunities for residents through seedling production, nursery work and other forest-related activities.

Looking beyond planting day

The initiative is being implemented through BINHI, EDC’s environmental program focused on native tree conservation, biodiversity and forest restoration.

EDC is the renewable energy arm of First Gen Corporation. First Gen has more than 1,700 megawatts of generating capacity from geothermal, hydro, wind and solar facilities across the Philippines. More than 1,302 MW comes from geothermal facilities operated by EDC.

In Capoocan, the challenge now is to keep the restoration effort going after the seedlings are planted.

For the farmers of Visares and Sto. Niño, that means staying involved as the forest slowly recovers.

Restoring 60 hectares will take time. For the community living alongside the area, the work starts with the first seedlings and continues from there.

Photo courtesy: First Gen Corporation, Kananga

Left to right:
Front row: Forester Julie Cruzada (DENR); PENRO Officer Ildefonso Quilloy; VISFA President (PO) Christian Mercoleta; Asst. Regional Director of Technical Services, Atty. Dario Suarez (representing DENR-RED Arturo Salazar); Atty. Allan V. Barcena (EDC); and Ms. Jennifer D. Wenceslao (EDC)

Back row: Forester Albert M. Azarcon (EDC); Atty. Mar Rebato (DENR); Engr. Valire Jess Abar (DENR); and Forester Rich Paul Cosio (EDC)