BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya (December 5)—The Didipio Mine (OGPI-DM) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley) have forged an agreement over a 280-hectare forest area for a tree cutting permit replacement planting program.
The MoA with over P9.6 million in funding was signed between Didipio Mine president and general manager, lawyer Joan Adaci-Cattiling, and DENR Region 2 Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan.
According to Cattiling, Didipio Mine will provide the necessary funding for the tree cutting replacement planting program amounting to P9,619,000 which will be deposited under the DENR Region 2 Office Trust Fund Account in accordance with the approved work and financial plan.
She said the funds will defray the entire cost of the project including site identification, survey, mapping and assessment, seedling production, site preparation, plantation establishment, and the three-year plantation maintenance and protection.
The program with a duration of four years from 2022 to 2025 will be implemented by the DENR partner peoples’ organizations, Cattiling added.
Under the MoA which will serve as an important instrument, the establishment of the 280-hectare area for the program within the Quirino and Nueva Vizcaya provinces as priority areas is also under the National Greening Program (NGP) of the national government, she said.
“With this program, our objective is to help on the mitigation of various global issues on climate change, water supply conservation, food security, biodiversity conservation and alleviation of poverty,” Catilling said citing Presidential Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011 which declares an interdepartmental convergence initiative for the NGP.
The MoA signing in November at the community ENR office in Aritao town in this province was witnessed by Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 2 Director Mario Ancheta, Nueva Vizcaya provincial ENR officer Engr. Giovannie Magat, forester Bernardino Aganon of Dupax town community ENR office and Engr. Lensy Bunuen of Aritao town community ENR office.