The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has shifted the focus of its forest rehabilitation programs to headwaters and mountain peaks—the source of water that feeds downstream farming communities—rather than concentrating planting efforts in lowland areas that are easier to reach but less critical to the water supply, Forest Management Bureau (FMB) Assistant Director Ray Thomas Kabigting said Saturday.
Kabigting made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 15, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
He said pilot studies conducted under the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) framework confirmed what forest managers have long observed: that the condition of the forest at the top of a watershed determines the quality and reliability of water flowing down to the farms and communities below.
“Kahit ano pong rehabilitation na gawin natin sa baba, kung ‘yung tuktok po ay hindi maayos ‘yung gubat, doon ang water supply po natin ay apektado. So ‘yun po ang value niya pagdating sa usapin ng forestry,” Kabigting said.
He said the PENCAS framework has been particularly useful in communicating the importance of headwater protection to local communities, because the clearest and most relatable way to explain ecosystem value to rural Filipinos is through the water they depend on for drinking, farming, and irrigation.
“Siguro po pinakamadaling ipaintindi sa mga kababayan natin is ‘yung kahalagahan ng tubig. Dahil lahat po diyan, lalo na sa mga rural areas natin, they depend on the natural water supply that they have,” Kabigting said.
Kabigting said the shift also corrects a longstanding misconception that reforestation success is measured by how many trees are planted in accessible lowland areas, when in reality the most critical planting sites are the remote upper watersheds that are harder to reach but most decisive in determining downstream water flow.
He said the insight from PENCAS studies on watersheds and river-adjacent areas is now informing where the DENR allocates its reforestation resources, ensuring that future tree planting programs deliver the greatest possible impact on water security for downstream agricultural communities.
