ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE) of the Bangsamoro region, through its Integrated Bangsamoro Greening Program (IBGP), turned over about 90,000 mahogany and coffee saplings to a cooperative in Barangay Dilimbayan, Maguing, Lanao del Sur.
Lanao del Sur Provincial Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (PENRE) Officer Asnawi Dataman said they turned over on Thursday, October 22, the seedlings to the 103rd Base Command Producers Cooperative for them to distribute and start the planting of the trees in their community.
“Our target is to plant 259, 670 mahoganies and 116, 847 coffee sapling to 354.06 hectares of deforested land here in Maguing,” said Dataman.
IBGP also distributed saplings to the Borocot Farm Agriculture Cooperative, Balintad Bato-Bato Agriculture Cooperative, Kianodan Tree Planters Agriculture Cooperative, Makalikasan Lilod Maguing Agriculture Cooperative, and 112th Brigade Bushra Base Command Marketing Cooperative, he said.
IBGP is one of MENRE’s initiatives, which aims to improve the ecological environment through rehabilitation and reforestation, while mobilizing former combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“This site was primarily selected because 103rd Base Command Producers Cooperative is surrounded by vast forests.
In line with the tree planting activity, Dataman also led the ceremonial signing of a pledge of support that aims to promote poverty reduction, resource protection and management, productivity enhancement, food security and nutrition, climate change mitigation, and adaptation.
“Our long term goal is to grow 171.2 million trees and propagules covering 159, 000 hectares in the Bangsamoro region through IBGP,” Dataman said.
The local government of Maguing also participated in the ceremonial signing as represented by MENRE Officer Benjamin Mangotara, Bato-Bato Barangay Chairman Hadji Ibrahim Landua, and Technical Working Group Chairman Ustadz Japar Hadji Rauf.