MINING permit holders in Western Visayas have committed to allot portions of their permit areas for bamboo plantation in support to the program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to plant more bamboos under the National Greening Program (NGP).
So far, 22 permit holders have expressed their commitment to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office 6 (MGB-6) to allocate areas for bamboo plantation totaling 415.9 hectares. The minimum area requirement for a bamboo plantation is one hectare, according to a report from MGB-6 Information Officer Laralournie Artajo.
Two mining companies with approved Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA), one in Sipalay, Negros Occidental committed 1.5 hectares while another in Semirara, Caluya, Antique committed 394 hectares.
Other permit holders in the sand and gravel and mineral processing and production sectors in the industry committed one hectare each. Three permit holders already have existing bamboo plantations with a total area of 8.5 hectares.
It will be recalled that the DENR has identified bamboo as an alternative lumber material and as a plant which can largely contribute to increasing the country’s forest cover.
DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has directed the mining industry to contribute to the economic recovery initiatives of the government, one of which is the establishment of bamboo plantations within their permit areas.
The program aims not to limit the activities to planting but for the mining companies to ensure that the bamboos planted are cared for and their growth properly monitored, MGB-6 said.(MGB-6 PIO/PIA6)
