The Cagdianao Mining Corp. (CMC), the Rotary Club of Metro Surigao, locals, and other environmental groups and individuals committed to planting one million trees in a mined-out area along Dinagat Islands
“In one day alone, all 139 of us, including our children, relatives, and friends, planted 2,200 trees under an hour. We felt we could do more. We felt we connected with the world indeed. It was very motivating,” said Rotary Club of Surigao City President Louie Chua in a Manila Standard report.
The mining company spearheaded this “tree-planting adventure” as part of its Environment Protection Enhancement Program (EPEP) that seeks to build a community committed to plant trees at the mine site.
CMC Resident Mine Manager Enr. Amilo Milaor stated that the Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) and its subsidiaries, including CMC, is mandated to organize these kinds of collaborative projects per government’s National Greening Program.
“We are opening the doors to Cagdianao Mining to everyone to experience the operations of a responsible mining company and to be educated on the benefits of regularly planting trees,” Milaor explained in the report.
CMC also signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Rotary Club of Metro Surigao to provide the Rotarians with the materials needed as well as access to the sites waiting to be planted on.
Moreover, they have also committed to providing the volunteers with a thorough orientation on the company’s rehabilitation program in Dinagat islands as well as an in-depth lecture on climate change adaptations, biodiversity conservation, reforestation, food security for the communities, among other things, in accordance to the law.
“The Rotarians are leading by example. The experience was a crusade of sorts that required each of the participants to go out of his/her way and make time to plant a tree at least once every month. This is one way we can help direct the course of the future to a better and healthier environment,” CMC’s Resident Physician, and active Rotarian, Dr. Romulo Ybiernas explained in the report.
CMC Environmental Manager Phoebe Alac explained that complex lessons on the benefits of tree planting, as well as on responsible mining, can only be taught by experience.
“That is why we want as many members of the communities as possible to visit to see for themselves how CMC is successfully rehabilitating the areas in an active mine site,” she said.
