Marcventures Mining and Development Corp. is fast tracking a six-million tree planting program for Surigao del Sur after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources last month finally gave the go ahead for the program two years after it was first submitted for approval.
In a statement, Marcventures said less than a month after the DENR approval, it had signed a memorandum of agreement with the mayors of Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen and Lanuza, all in Surigao del Sur, to plant six million trees throughout the province where the company was operating.
The program covers the planting of three million in trees mandated by the DENR, for which Marcventures submitted a proposal to the DENR in February 2015.
Environment Secretary Regina Paz Lopez finally approved the program last month, after all issues such as the project sites, had been finally solved.
Another three million trees will be planted, also in partnership with the Surigao del Sur local governments, as part of the company’s regular tree replanting activities.
The regional DENR has submitted an inventory of 1.5 million seedlings from various sources in the five municipalities which will provide employment.
According to MMDC vice chair Isidro Alcantara, the MOA signatories hope to plant not only endemic species but also cash crops like coffee and cacao so that the livelihood component of the program will be recurring and could provide sustained yearly income for beneficiaries in the area.