Firewood Plantation as an Alternative Source of Energy in the Philippines

The increasing price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has forced many households to shift to firewood/charcoal in the Philippines, causing tremendous pressure on the dwindling forest. This transition is more obvious in the rural area where firewood price is almost half of that in the cities. Both problems on big demand for firewood and the pressure on our forest can be partly solved by going into firewood plantation. After all, the country has vast track of idle lands, both private and government lands, waiting to be developed. What the government can do are: a) aggressive promotion of firewood plantation, b) simplify further the old technology on establishing firewood plantation to encourage more farmers, c) improve charcoal processing and d) promote the use of efficient stoves. This write up discusses the need for firewood plantation, areas available for planting, where to plant in farms, what species to plant in a particular soil type/location for optimum growth, planting methods, harvesting, marketing, and the side lights on the ecological benefits derived from plantation aside from wood.