Energy Development Corporation (EDC) and National Artist BenCab (Benedicto Cabrera) have joined hands in saving and propagating endangered premium native trees.
With the University of the Philippines-Baguio and the Philippine Society for the Study of Nature, EDC and BenCab Art Foundation Inc. (BAFI) planted 100 seedlings of 18 endangered tree species at BenCab’s farm in Tuba, Benguet recently.
The tree-planting activity is part of EDC’s BINHI: A Greening Legacy project, a nationwide reforestation and biodiversity preservation project to arrest forest degradation, contribute to climate change mitigation and provide sustainable livelihood for forest communities.
BAFI, EDC’s 97th partner for the project’s Tree for the Future module, will host the permanent planting area within the eco-trail of BenCab Museum and share in the responsibility of implementing the long-term protection, monitoring and maintenance of the planted trees until these have grown into mother trees.
Launched in 2008, BINHI is focused on bringing back highvalue but fast-dwindling native
trees such as yakal, tindalo, kamagong, mangkono and ipil.
Rei Medrano, EDC manager for CSR, said: “We source the few remaining seedlings of endangered premium native trees and grow them into mother trees in planting sites where they can
be best protected and nurtured…. These mother trees will be used to propagate more seedlings for transplant all over the country.”
EDC has already rescued 85 premium endangered tree species out of the 96 target priority species with the help of its BINHI partners nationwide, Medrano added. (By Toni Nieva)