The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has partnered with SteelAsia Foundation, Inc. (SAFI) for the five-year greening program of the 23-hectare forest land in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
SteelAsia hopes to mitigate the manufacturing plant’s effects on the environment through carbon dioxide sequestration by planting and nurturing trees.
“We have always been mindful of our role as stewards of the environment in the communities where we operate. Thus, we employ the latest technologies to ensure the most sustainable ways in operating our manufacturing plants,” SteelAsia Chairman and CEO Benjamin O. Yao was quoted in a report.
DENR and SAFI signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to formalize the partnership.
During the signing, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu encouraged more private sector partnership in the Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP), which is a reforestation initiative of the government implemented in 2015.
ENGP aims to cover the remaining 7.1 million hectares of open and denuded forests in the country by 2028.
SAFI Trustee Leena Y. Go said the company’s commitment is aligned to environmental sustainability.
“We hope that this new partnership with the DENR will further invigorate our efforts and strengthen our commitment to nourish our environment and enhance the communities where we operate,” she said.
Also present during the MOA were other SAFI Trustees Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. and Tina Y. Yu and other DENR officials, including Usec. Juan Miguel Cuna and Forester Aldrich Resma, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) of Region 10.
