Aboitiz foundation seals partnership to restore forests

CEBU, Philippines - The Bosconian International Chamber of Commerce-Cebu Chapter has sealed partnership with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. to help restore the forests in Cebu.

Under the agreement, the BICC will work hand-in-hand with RAFI through GREENIN Philippines Program, which stands for Generation Redemption and Expansion of Natural Resources Initiatives in the Philippines Program.

GREENIN Philippines was established by RAFI to provide venue for private sectors to participate in the protection and rehabilitation of the environment.

RAFI does not only promote tree planting but also ensure that the seedlings it planted will grow into full blown trees.

The foundation has developed strategies and measures to ensure that it would be able to restore the forests.

“Research is an important tool to determine what to plant, in which specific area, what plant would survive in which type of soil, etc. We even go down to the barangay to validate these data because we want to achieve 90 to 95 percent survival rate,” said Rowena Bandola-Alensonorin, RAFI executive director for integrated development.

In GREENIN Philippines, Alensonorin said they prefer mix-cropping because they want to restore the natural diversity of the forests.

She said they are working closely with the barangay to assist them in monitoring the growth of the trees.

As an incentive to the barangay’s help, RAFI promised livelihood projects for the barangay constituents.

“We tell them to take care of the trees, come up with a surviving tree and we will give you projects. We must involve the community and make them understand how important is what we’re doing,” she said.

RAFI and its partners, which now include BICC, aims to plant 21 million trees all over Cebu based on the record of plantable areas in the Island.

In June, they will implement the “2 million and 11 in 2011” where they will plant 2,000,011 seedlings this year.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-7 will lead a region-wide tree planting and maintenance activity covering 7,499 hectares.

Dubbed the National Greening Program, the initiative aims to reduce the impact of climate change in Central Visayas.

DENR regional executive director Maximo O. Dichoso said that forests are effective carbon sequesters as they regulate climate and provide clean water and clean air for a healthier environment.

The program is seen to address the problem on poverty, food security, land productivity, environmental stability and sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and values formation.

“It also provides stable watershed function and nutrients steady supply of food and shelter for wildlife, adequate supply of seeds and wildlings, protection from heavy rains and storms, windbreaker, prevention of flash floods and landslides and revival of biodiversity” Dichoso said.

With a budget of P29 million, the program aims to plant one million seedlings of agro-forestry. —(FREEMAN)