Power firm achieves milestone in Sarangani watershed project

SARANGANI, Philippines - – The Alsons Power Group’s Sarangani Energy Corp. (SEC) recently marked the planting of half-a-million seedlings at the site of its watershed protection project in Maasim town this province.

The program is part of an effort to reforest 7,500 hectares in the barangays of Amsipit, Pananag, Lumatil, Kablacan, Nomoh and Bales, all in Maasim town.

SEC will plant a total of 3.75 million seedlings of indigenous tree species and commercial agro-forestry crops such as rubber, cacao, guyabano, and cashew.

As of Jan. 24, the program had covered 1,271 hectares. SEC has committed to plant one million seedlings before the end of December 2014.

The watershed protection project, touted as the biggest environmental undertaking in Sarangani in terms of land area, aims to provide forest cover for the Siguil and Kamanga river watersheds.

The project ensures the livelihood of 457 families from the B’laan and T’boli indigenous communities who are organized under the Maasim Highland Farmers’ Association (MHFA). 

Under the SEC’s supervision, the beneficiary families protect and cultivate the planted seedlings and in turn, harvest and market the products and agricultural crops once they bear fruit.

MHFA families keep all the proceeds from the sale of the harvested crops from the watershed protection area. SEC also provides the families with a regular stipend and farming implements. 

The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources has included the watershed protection project under the National Greening Program, which seeks to achieve poverty alleviation, biodiversity, and food security through reforestation activities. 

The project has been dubbed as a public-private community partnership due to the active participation of different sectors.

Provincial board member George Falgui, representing Gov. Steve Solon, Maasim Mayor Aniceto Lopez Jr., and Barangay Amsipit chairman Hilario Kaka recently joined Alsons Consolidated Resources Inc. and SEC chairman and president Tomas Alcantara at the planting ceremony for the half-millionth seedling.

The project area is within the vicinity of the construction site of SEC’s 210-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant, which is part of a long-term solution to provide baseload power for Mindanao.

Construction for the plant has gone into high gear and SEC expects to begin commercial operations for its initial output of 105 MW by September 2015. The plant will reach full 210-MW capacity in 2016.

Apart from the SEC plant, Alsons Power is also developing the 105-MW San Ramon Power Inc. coal-fired power plant in Talisayan, Zamboanga City.