RAFI puts up satellite native trees nurseries

CEBU, Philippines - As a support mechanism to its GREENIN Philippines Program, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) establishes satellite native trees nurseries in various parts of the country in collaboration with the private sector and government.

GREENIN Philippines Program stands for Generation Redemption and Expansion of Natural resources Initiatives in the Philippines Program. It seeks to develop, protect, enhance and co-manage denuded forestlands, bushlands, and degraded residual natural forests by planting native tree species. Putting up satellite native trees nurseries is one of its components.

The satellite nurseries serve as a showcase or inventory of trees that are endemic or native to a specific locality. At the same time, they raise the public’s awareness and understanding of the significance of native species in the biodiversity. The satellite nurseries also enable RAFI to deliver quality seedlings to clients and partners in areas where they come from, in an efficient and effective approach.

In 2008, RAFI helped the establishment of the Cebu Industrial Park Developer’s Inc. (CIPDI) native trees nursery. Located in a 1,000-square-meter lot in Balamban, Cebu, the CIPDI nursery has the capacity to produce 50,000 native tree species in a given time. It becomes the source of planting materials for tree-growing activities of the industries in the western seaboard.

METAPHIL, a world-class construction company, came into agreement with CIPDI for the supply of 8,000 native tree seedlings per year. With the increasing demand for native tree species, CIPDI plans to increase its nursery’s production capacity from 50,000 to 100,000 seedlings.

The nursery is born out of CIPDI’s vision for corporate social responsibility. Operation of the nursery is being handled by its property management office. RAFI provides technical assistance and guidance in nursery operations.

Meanwhile, RAFI partnered with the Municipality of San Francisco in the establishment of a native trees nursery in June 2010. This nursery supports the local government unit’s Two Million Trees Program. As a satellite nursery, it caters to the planting material needs of institutions and the private sector in Camotes Island undertaking reforestation activities under the GREENIN Philippines Program. The native tree seedlings used during the town’s version of RAFI-initiated Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines last June 25, 2011 were sourced from this satellite nursery.

Recently, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu and RAFI entered into a partnership to implement the Blue Tree Project. The project is the school’s “green” investment for the environment’s future. A native trees nursery is established in the school campus to get the project started. RAFI provided technical assistance in the establishment and operation of the nursery. It becomes a satellite of RAFI’s native trees nursery as a component of the Blue Tree Project-GREENIN Philippines Program partnership. At present, there are already 5,000 native tree seedlings propagated in the Ateneo de Cebu satellite nursery. The Campus Ministry, which handles the day-to-day activities, plans to double or triple the production capacity of the nursery. The nursery is RAFI’s first school-based satellite native tree nursery in the province.  

RAFI is in talks with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines member schools for the establishment of satellite native trees nurseries in the provinces of Davao del Sur and Isabela within the year.

Satellite native trees nurseries are necessary to meet the growing demand for native trees for reforestation activities. These nurseries maintain standards to produce quality planting materials as a pre-requisite to growing real forests.

For more information on how to establish a native trees nursery under the GREENIN Philippines Program, please contact 418-7234 loc. 519 and look for Neil Papas or Max Palen. (FREEMAN)