EDC chairman emeritus Oscar M. Lopez (right) and Sec. Ramon Paje seal the EDC-DENR partnership for the National Greening ProgramENERGY Development Corporation (EDC) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are joining forces in the implementation of the government’s National Greening Program (NGP). EDC’s landmark greening project called BINHI has been selected as one of the strategic programs under the NGP.

EDC chairman emeritus Oscar M. Lopez (OML) and Environment Sec. Ramon Paje signed a memorandum of agreement to seal the greening partnership as President Benigno Aquino III launched the NGP.

Under the partnership agreement, EDC and the DENR will establish and maintain a seed bank and an arboretum of threatened species; and develop data-bank through an interactive website, tree certification, plantation registry and maps.

They will also make available environmental and watershed management data for the development of policies and guidelines for reforestation and spearhead the information education and communication campaign to raise awareness on the two projects.

“EDC has always been innovative and creative in crafting programs especially those related to environmental protection. BINHI is an original and revolutionary program because it is the first serious reforestation effort that is dedicated to rescuing and securing premium, endangered native species by establishing mother trees that will be the sources of more seeds. We have a concrete and systematic program for BINHI, and we are happy that reforestation and biodiversity experts recognize our initiatives,” OML said.

BINHI, launched in December 2008, aims to reforest 1,000 hectares every year for 10 years. In 2009, the first year of implementation, EDC planted 842,767 seedlings in 1,018 hectares in its host provinces. Also in 2009, the local government of Isabela province sought the assistance of EDC in protecting the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park and installing a mega nursery through BINHI.

In 2010, EDC planted 721,319 trees and 937 hectares in Leyte, Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Albay, Sorsogon, Cotabato, Nueva Ecija and Isabela.