The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is strengthening enforcement of its its tree-planting requirement for all contractors and applicants for permits and licenses, General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago, announced Sunday, Nov. 6.
The agency has started its tree-planting initiative two years ago, issuing Administrative Order (AO) No. 14-2020 after Republic Act No. 9729, “The Climate Change Act of 2009” was passed into law in 2020.
The PPA AO, which required permit and license applicants as well as contractors to plant 1,000 seedlings of trees or mangroves in coordination with the local office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) within their business locations, took effect in February 2, 2021.
Now, "PPA targets to strengthen this initiative in response to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s call to include tree planting in our flood control and environmental measures," the GM reiterated.
In collaboration with the Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO), PPA has already planted more than 3,000 mangroves and seedlings in Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga, Agusan, Bicol, Negros Oriental and Bataan.
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PPA can cancel the Permit To Operate, Certificate of Registration and contracts of individuals and port service providers who fail to comply with the requirement not later than one year after the issuance of PPA papers.
Specifically, the PPA order states that contractors of the agency for the supply of goods and services, shall be required to plant at least 1,000 seedlings for contracts amounting to P5 million and another 1,000 seedlings for every additional P5 million contract amount or fraction thereof.
Port terminal operators are required to plant 100,000 seedlings; cargo-handling operators, 50,000; passenger terminal building operators, 50,000; Roll-on/roll-off operators, 25,000; private port operators, 500,000 and harbor pilots, 10,000.
The applicant or grantee, must coordinate with the CENRO or concerned office or unit of the DENR for the type of seedlings to be planted and the location where the seedlings shall be planted.
Once the applicants and contractors complete the requirement, the DENR will issue a certificate of completion which the former submits to the PPA.
PPA Port Management Offices and Head Office Responsibility Centers monitor the applicants and contractors' compliance to the requirement.