The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through its Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB), has partnered with an energy firm to conserve 11 of the country’s most critically endangered native tree species.
The partnership with the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) was formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by ERDB Director Henry Adornado and Energy Development Corporation (EDC) corporate support function group head and Assistant Vice President Regina Victoria Pascual.
Secretary Roy Cimatu said that through the MOU, the DENR will be able to “more effectively conserve and propagate native tree species that are vital to sustaining biodiversity.”
The public can expect the DENR to build more partnerships to protect the environment even with the ongoing pandemic, he added.
Under the five-year MOU, the ERDB and EDC have agreed to collaborate on strengthening the BINHI program, an initiative of EDC that focuses on native tree conservation and aims to rescue and ensure propagation of selected 96 premium Philippine threatened species across the country.
The ERDB-EDC collaboration zeroes in on 11 rarest and most critically endangered tree species, namely, kadalis narig, malayakal, Mindanao narek, pinulog, Palawan narig, narig laot, kanining peneras, Cagayan narek, pianga, mapilig and Samar gisok.
They will also conduct in-situ conservation or the conservation of species in their natural habitats, which is considered the most appropriate way of preserving biodiversity.
The ERDB is also tasked to coordinate with potential EDC partners for the identification of different tree species, provide assistance in sourcing and propagation of seedlings, and assist in technicalities and protocols for tree planting.
“ERDB is very much willing to respond to the need to conserve our natural resources by providing full support in developing science-based propagation protocols or information on the selected tree species through our research, development and extension centers,” Adornado said.