Mining firm commended for efforts in tree-planting project
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 04/08/2009 6:36 PM
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A women's organization has recently cited the efforts of a local mining firm for supporting the former's initiatives on environmental conservation.
The Local Council of Women (LCW) of Columbio in Sultan Kudarat has expressed their appreciation on the support extended by Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) in its recent tree-planting activity with the local government. In the said project, SMI provided the seedlings and conducted a briefing on tree-planting procedures.
"The activity mainly showed the vitality of the private and public sectors’ partnership in social and environmental activities. With this, we are able to eliminate the negative impressions towards minerals development,” said LCW chair Cherry Bermudez.
For its part, SMI said it has always been committed to protecting the environment through its continued support of reforestation programs involving communities and project stakeholders.
“We hope that by supporting tree-planting activities, we help raise public awareness and promote a multi-stakeholder collaboration in forest restoration in the communities”, said Lauro Domondon of SMI’s Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership-Sultan Kudarat team.
Some 300 women and youth volunteers from 16 villages planted 420 seedlings of perennial and fruit-bearing trees in Barangay Maligaya in Columbio.
Being a watershed area, Maligaya has been identified by the Community-Based Environment Monitoring Program (CBEMP) of Columbio as the primary source of water in the local communities.
CBEMP is a multi-sectoral group composed of representatives from SMI, community-based organizations, and the local government unit of Columbio. The group monitors environmental impacts of development activities in the municipality.
