By Bernie Cahiles-Magkilat
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and SteelAsia Foundation, Inc. (SAFI) are jointly pursuing a five-year greening program for 23 hectares of forest land in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
SAFI is the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp., the country’s leading steel firm. With one of its steel mills located in Misamis Oriental, SteelAsia hopes to mitigate the manufacturing plant’s impact on the environment through carbon dioxide sequestration by planting and nurturing trees.
“We have always been mindful of our role as stewards of the environment in the communities where we operate. Thus, we employ the latest technologies to ensure the most sustainable ways in operating our manufacturing plants,” SteelAsia Chairman and CEO Benjamin O. Yao said.
DENR and SAFI signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) recently to formalize the collaboration for the greening of Villanueva, Misamis Oriental.
During the signing ceremony, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu urged more private sector participation in the Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP) which is the flagship reforestation initiative of the government aimed at increasing the country’s forest cover. Implemented in 2015, the ENGP seeks to cover the remaining 7.1 million hectares of open, degraded and denuded forests in the country by 2028.
For its part, SAFI Trustee Leena Y. Go said that the ENGP is very much aligned with the company’s commitment to environmental sustainability. “We hope that this new partnership with the DENR will further invigorate our efforts and strengthen our commitment to nourish our environment and enhance the communities where we operate,” she said.
Established in 2018, SAFI supports the new global agenda on sustainable development of the United Nations Environment Program through the promotion of environmental sustainability as a crucial enabling factor in implementing the UN’s sustainability development goals.
Pursuing a holistic approach to its CSR programs, SAFI is focused on four advocacy pillars – environment, education, health, and livelihood for its host communities.
Aside from Sec. Cimatu and Go, also present during the MOA signing were other SAFI Trustees Adrian S. Cristobal Jr. and Tina Y. Yu and other DENR officials, including Usec. Juan Miguel Cuna and Forester Aldrich Resma, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) of Region 10.