Effectiveness of CENRO Management in Implementing the National Greening Program in Bukidnon: A Socio-Environmental Evaluation

This study evaluated the effectiveness of Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices (CENROs) in implementing the National Greening Program (NGP) in Bukidnon and assessed its socio-economic and socio-cultural impacts on beneficiaries. Anchored on the Ecosystem Services Theory and the Livelihood Resilience Framework, the study employed a descriptive-evaluative design, utilizing a structured questionnaire administered to 100 respondents—comprising 50 CENRO personnel and 50 NGP beneficiaries. The study focused on four core variables: social engagement and People's Organization (PO) empowerment, environmental conservation and protection, socio-economic benefits, and socio-cultural impacts. Descriptive statistics showed that the implementation of the NGP by CENROs was perceived as very highly effective in the areas of social engagement (𝑥̄ = 4.34), environmental conservation (𝑥̄ = 4.36), and socio-economic outcomes (𝑥̄ = 4.25). While the socio-cultural aspect received a lower but still highly effective rating (𝑥̄ = 3.56), it indicated a need for stronger integration of indigenous rights and cultural preservation in NGP efforts. Inferential analysis using ANOVA revealed no significant difference in respondents' perceptions of program effectiveness when grouped by household size, educational attainment, and source of income, leading to the non-rejection of the null hypothesis. These findings suggest that CENROs have demonstrated commendable performance in implementing the NGP, contributing to reforestation goals, community empowerment, and local economic development. The consistency of perceptions across diverse demographic groups underscores the inclusive nature of the program's reach. However, the study recommends enhanced efforts in conflict resolution, market linkage, and deeper cultural engagement to further improve implementation. Insights from this research may inform future environmental policy and community-based forest management strategies in the Philippines.