QUEZON CITY, (PIA) -- The regional office of the Department of the Environment & Natural Resources in the National Capital Region and the Philippine National Police-National Capital Region Police Office (PNP-NCRPO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the establishment and maintenance of an urban greening site at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, Monday.

Regional Executive Director Jacqueline A. Caancan signed the agreement in behalf of the regional office while Police Major General Vicente D. Danao, Jr. for the PNP-NCRPO.

Conservation and Development Division (CDD) Chief and concurrent Chief Environmental Officer for the East Field Office (EFO), Forester Aida E. Esguerra stood as witness.

The agreement formalizes the partnership between the regional office and the PNP-NCRPO on the establishment of a National Greening Program (NGP) site inside the camp.

Under the agreement, DENR National Capital Region will provide seedlings of fruit bearing trees to the PNP-NCRPO, as well as training and technical assistance to volunteer police officers tasked of taking care of the NGP site.

Established under Executive Order Nos. 23 and 26, s. 2011, the NGP originally aimed to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares of lands of the public domain for a period of six (6) years, from CY 2011 to CY 2016. In 2015, Executive Order No. 193 was issued expanding the coverage of the NGP and its implementation period from 2016 to 2028.

DENR National Capital Region is working with both public and private institutions to promote the E-NGP and increase the green spaces of Metro Manila to contribute to efforts aimed at poverty reduction, strengthening food security and climate resiliency of the region. (DENR NCR/PIA-NCR)