Ipilan Nickel Corporation launched a tree planting campaign with the aim of rehabilitating more than 500 hectares of forest land in the mountains of Barangay Calasaguen, in a bid to continue the implementation of the National Greening Program initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
During the launching of the campaign on July 20, a total of 200 seedlings were planted by participants from INC and community members from the mine’s impact barangays, which targets to plant a total of 861,839 trees in 517 hectares of land.
As part of its support to the NGP’s thrust to rehabilitate forests, the company is committed to plant 100 trees for every tree that is cut down in its mining sites
Marvin Arlegui, Mines and Environment Protection and Enhancement Officer of INC said the activity is done in cooperation with threw Peoples’s Organizations (POs) in their impact barangays – Bulho Farmers Association Sitio Abubakar, Coconut Farmers Association and Calasaguen Shore Farmers Association.
“Sa tulong ninyo, sana maabot natin na ma-rehabilitate ulit or ma-enhance yung area na ito na 517 hectares at sa tulong din sana ng DENR ay magawa natin yung technically correct and scientific way of planting,” Arlegui told participants of the tree planting activity.
He also said the program does not end with tree planting as they will continue to monitor the seedlings planted to ensure that they grow and survive.
The NGP was established through Executive Order no. 26 series of 2011 signed by the late President Benigno Aquino on Februarry 24, 2011, that seeks to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares for a period of six (6) years, from 2011 to 2016. Its implementation was expanded to 2028 by EO 193, Series of 2015.
