Mining firm to help 'PalTREES'

MANILA, Philippines - Citinickel Mines and Development Corp., a nickel mining company with two projects in Sofronio Española and Narra towns in Palawan, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the provincial government of Palawan, committing a donation of five million seedlings over a period of 25 years (2011 to 2036).

While Palawan remains to be the province having the highest forest cover in the country, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) reports that it has lost a huge tract of forest cover due to “agricultural and residential land uses, fishpond development, and the release of certificate of land ownership award under the government’s agrarian reform program.”

The PCSD also names other causes such as timber poaching for wood and lumber, mangrove debarking, charcoal making, and forest fires.

In the hope of enriching the province’s forest resources for the future and reverse the trend of forest loss, the PCSD passed Resolution 11-418 last March adopting a public-private partnership for the province-wide implementation of the Trees for Life program.

Dubbed as PalTREES, the program also complements President Aquino’s Executive Order 23 declaring the implementation of the National Greening Program as a government priority.