1.2M hectares of forest land up for private investment, reforestation in 2025 – DENR chief
MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government is set to open 1.2 million hectares of forest land for private investment and reforestation, after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) releases data on these lands in the first quarter of 2025.
“The DENR will…be releasing information this quarter on 1.2 million hectares of classified forest lands as priority investment areas for reforestation, agroforestry, and forest-related developments,” Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga said at the second Philippine-Japan Environment Week event on Tuesday, January 14.
Loyzaga said this is related to the country’s efforts to participate in the global carbon market. But the overall goal, the environment secretary said, is to reforest.
The Philippines has around 15 million hectares of classified forest lands, “of which only about seven million are actually covered with forests,” said Loyzaga.
The government targets to open a total of 3 million hectares of forest lands for investment for the duration of the Marcos administration.
Reforestation and development of these lands for sustainable uses will be available not only for the local private sector, but for foreign companies and other nations as well.
“We expect that there will be interest on the part of foreign countries and foreign corporations that are willing to, well, are needing to actually offset what they are emitting in the country,” Loyzaga added.
The DENR spearheads the National Greening Program, the country’s flagship reforestation program.
According to Loyzaga, there is a need for a new reforestation program that brings together different groups outside the government.
In a report released in December 2024, the Philippine Statistics Authority recorded a growth of 2.9% in forest cover from 6.72 million hectares in 2105 to 6.91 million hectares in 2020.
The biggest growth of closed forests occured in Central Luzon, followed by growth in the Mimaropa region and Northern Mindanao. – Rappler.com