WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the United Nations, declared the year 2011 as the International Year of Forests (IYF) to raise awareness in strengthening the sustainable management, conservation and development of all types of forests for present and future generations;

WHEREAS, the government instituted policy reforms as well as programs and projects, including the National Greening Program, to ensure the sustainable management, conservation and development of the country ™s forest resources;

WHEREAS, the Philippines, as of the member states of the United Nations and a Party to the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF), recognizes the International Year of Forests as an opportunity to increase awareness of the importance of forests and the central role of people in its conservation and sustainable development by promoting collaborative actions at the national, regional, and local levels.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III , President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by law, do hereby declare the year 2011 as the National Year of Forests (NYF), and in support to the National Greening Program (NGP) and all the efforts towards the sustainable management of the forests, I hereby order:

SECTION 1. All agencies of the executive branch, including but not limited to commissions, national government agencies, local government units (LGUs), state universities and colleges, government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), in cooperation with the church, civil society, private sectors and other non-government organizations, are hereby directed to initiate and implement activities in celebration of the NYF. The agencies concerned are hereby directed to allocate funds from its CY 2011 budget for the implementation of the NYF activities.

SECTION 2. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is hereby authorized to create the NYF Steering Committee, Technical Working Group, and Secretariat composed of representatives from various agencies and organizations.

SECTION 3. The Forest Management Bureau of the DENR shall serve as the focal agency and is hereby directed to coordinate all government NYF activities in partnership with the private sector. It shall also submit to the Office of the President an accomplishment report two (2) months after the culmination of NYF activities.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 15th day of March, in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Eleven.

	(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
By the President:
(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.
Executive Secretary