The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau in Region 10 (DENR-EMB 10) has lauded FDC Misamis Power Corporation (FDC Misamis) for the man-made forest it built in the province
To be specific, DENR cited the forest management and reforestation programs of FDC Misamis, which aims to capture carbon emissions and maintain air quality in Misamis Oriental.
FDC Misamis is a subsidiary of FDC Utilities, Inc., the Gotianun-led Filinvest Development Corporation's utilities and power arm.
It operates a 3x135-megawatts (MW) circulating fluidized bed coal thermal plant in Villanueva town, one of Northern Mindanao's biggest. The power plant has been operational since 2018.
Meanwhile, FDC Misamis' Carbon Sink Management Program (CSMP) has been established in 2018 and particularly covers 140 hectares of forest lands.
So far, over 80 hectares have been planted with indigenous tree species like An-an, Tipolo, Maribojoc, Bangkal, Acacia, Alim (Alum), Magtangali, Rattan, and Kalikoy, among others.
This, while an additional 40 hectares were populated with Mangium and Bagras species.
Through its first major carbon sink project, the power firm was able to establish a man-made forest that helps sequester carbon emissions to maintain the air quality in the province.
After a recent site inspection, DENR officials said FDC Misamis' project is "a show window of a successful carbon sink for coal-fired power plants in the Region."
In particular, DENR recognized the company for the suitability of its CSMP area, management, and supervision scheme of existing forested areas, and planted species’ highly adaptive characteristics.
For his part, FDC Misamis President and CEO Juan Eugenio L. Roxas said it is encouraging to know that DENR-EMB 10 sees his company's efforts, which is more than for compliance purposes.
"The disruption brought by the COVID-19 pandemic may have given the planet some breathing space, temporarily improving air quality worldwide. But as we move forward in the post-covid era, environmental stewardship must be prioritized to truly mitigate greenhouse gas emissions," Roxas further said.