10 million trees up for planting to rehabilitate Central Cebu

CEBU, Philippines — The Mananga River in Talisay City has been identified as possible site for a reforestation and watershed recovery project dubbed as Carbon PH led by the Aboitiz Group in partnership with the Cebu Provincial Government.

The project intends to rehabilitate and sustain the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL) and its surrounding areas by planting over 10 million trees.

The CCPL covers several areas in Cebu, including Toledo City, Talisay City, Danao City, Balamban, Consolacion, Liloan, and Compostela. Protected areas in Cebu City also include the Buhisan Dam, Sudlon National Park, Cotcot Lusaran Watershed Forest Reserve, Mananga Watershed Forest Reserve, and Central Cebu National Park.

Carbon PH Project, as reported, is the first multi-partite reforestation and watershed recovery effort which targets approximately 13,000 to 15,000 hectares within the CCPL and an additional 25,000 hectares of adjacent forest land.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia even expressed that the area must be planted with trees avoiding it not to dry, during a meeting with Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia and Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas on Wednesday, July 31.

 Atong i-rehabilitate, mananom tag mga kahoy. Panamnan gyod na nato kay kung di na nato tamnan, mao ra gihapon, mouga ra gihapon ta,  said Garcia in a post by Sugbo News, Capitol s official media arm.

The tree planting activity will proceed alongside the desilting operations of the Mananga River. This desilting operation clears water springs obstructed by years of heavy siltation, prevent pool formation, and ensure a steady water flow to the Metropolitan Cebu Water District s (MCWD) Jaclupan Facility.

Present during the meeting were Aboitiz Foundation president Ana Margarita Hontiveros-Malvar, MCWD general manager Edgar Donoso, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Provincial ENR Office (DENR-PENRO) official Arnold Omandam, and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) first district Engineer Leslie Molina.

Environmental Management Bureau Region 7 (EMB) chief of the Environmental Impact Assessment Section Engr. Mary Ann Bueno, contractors involved in the desilting of the rivers, and barangay captains from the concerned areas of the cities of Talisay and Cebu were also in attendance.   Kristin de Dios and Le Antojado/FPL (CEBU NEWS)