100 hectares targeted for PBSP reforestation project

100 hectares targeted for PBSP reforestation project 
By Malou M. Mozo
Manila Bulletin
May 26, 2010


CEBU CITY — The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), which is the country’s largest corporate-led foundation in the country, said an additional 100 hectares within the 504-hectare area adopted by the Kantipla Ecosystems Enhancement and Protection (KEEP) Foundation will be targeted for reforestation this year.

PBSP's Cebu Hillyland Reforestation Caravan is the Foundation's main activity in the campaign to reforest the denuded areas of the 29,000-hectare Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL). The CCPL is Metro Cebu's major source of potable water.

“There is urgent need for massive reforestation because of the extreme weather conditions brought on by climate change,” said PBSP-Visayas Chairman Jose Antonio Aboitiz.

Aboitiz said he is hopeful that with the planting of thousands of trees, Cebu will likely be made to adapt more to climate change in the coming years.

In a statement, PBSP announced that this year's reforestation caravan will run for 15 Saturdays beginning June 19 and will go on till September.

Some 15,000 seedlings will be planted in the 100 hectare area. Cebu Microelectronics, Inc. has adopted 3.2 hectares to be planted with 8,000 seedlings. The Philippine Recyclers Association – Cebu Chapter, for its part, is adopting a hectare to be planted with 2,500 seedlings; Yamashin-Filter Corp. is committing to donate 3,000 seedlings; and Jollibee Foods Corporation-Vismin, the Philippine Long Distance and Telephone Co. (PLDT) and Vivant Corporation will field employees to participate in said caravan.

Companies can get involved by adopting at least a hectare for reforestation or by organizing employee volunteers to help plant trees on any scheduled Saturday of the caravan. A hectare costs P45,000 to reforest; this includes maintenance and replanting of tree seedlings as needed.

Since its first reforestation efforts in 1992, the PBSP has covered more than 1,000 hectares in the CCPL.