RAFI inks partnership for tree Nurseries

CEBU, Philippines - Believing in the same vision for the environment, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., Notre Dame University, and Cotabato Light and Power Company signed an agreement for nursery establishment and tree plantation project last Oct. 16, 2012.

CLPC will allocate fund to NDU through RAFI for the construction, maintenance, and monitoring of native nursery and tree plantation.  The fund will be utilized for the production of 12,000 seedlings.

NDU will set up a native tree nursery that adopts and subscribes to the RAFI Nursery Operations Manual standards and criteria, which includes seed beds, nursing area, hardening area, and vermi-culture area, among others.

On the other hand, RAFI will make eight quarterly visits to monitor the progress of native tree seedlings production and the number of seedlings planted in plantation sites.

The native trees nursery establishment is an initiative of RAFI’s Generation REdemption, and Expansion of Natural resources INitiatives (GREENIN) Philippines Program to ensure environmental sustainability by reversing the loss of environmental resources through the utilization of native tree species in its interventions of restoring and rehabilitating degraded forests and idle lands.

GREENIN Philippines Program is one of the programs under RAFI’s Integrated Development focus area.

It aims to address environmental problems by undertaking initiatives for the protection, conservation, and rehabilitation of our country’s forests. RAFI’s other focus areas are Micro-finance and Entrepreneurship, Culture and Heritage, Leadership and Citizenship, and Education.

For more information about the GREENIN Philippines Program, please contact 418-7234 loc. 515  and look for Bonifacio Amper, or visit www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.  (FREEMAN)