The National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) highlighted on Thursday, March 7, its significant contributions to the country, citing projects like the Greening Mined-Out Area in the Philippines (GMAP), which utilizes innovative approaches to rehabilitate mined-out areas for sustainable vegetation.

NRCP Executive Director Dr. Bernardo Sepeda said that this is an effort discovered by a scientist from UPLB who aims to re-green mined-out areas and started in Marinduque.

"Nagawa na rin ito sa Surigao gamit ang microbial na teknolohiya at native na mga halaman dito sa Pilipinas upang ang mga mined-out area ay muling mataniman (This has also been done in Surigao using microbial technology and native plants here in the Philippines to reforest the mined-out areas)," he explained during an interview with PTV Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

Sepeda further mentioned that a biotech chemical has been discovered using microbes to make these areas more beneficial.

"Di'ba 'pag mga mined-out area usually ina-abandona na, pero ang mga scientist ay nakahanap ng chemical para mas maging maayos ang nutrient ng lupa para mataniman sya (Isn't it true that mined-out areas are usually abandoned, but scientists have found a chemical to improve soil nutrients for reforestation)," he said.

Sepeda also highlighted that the technique is presently employed in multiple mining regions, including Zambales and Benguet, with emphasis on its contribution to environmental conservation under the banner of progressive mining.

He underscored NRCP's leadership in basic research across domains such as food and energy sources, emphasizing the organization's role in translating research into practical solutions for industry.

"The NRCP leads in what we call basic research in various fields, so we are excited to discover what else we can achieve using AI at our upcoming conference," Sepeda said in Filipino.