loilo City – “Once again, we strongly enjoin your full support and participation in the government’s thrust of greening our country through the National Greening Program (NGP). In the same way, your participation will also make a difference in completing the detailed geohazard mapping program on a scale of 1:10,000,” exhorts MGB-6, DENR Regional Director Leo Van V. Juguan during the regional meeting of mining contractors and permit holders in Region 6 held on February 26, 2013 at the Iloilo Grand Hotel.
Fifteen mining companies with approved tenements and 24 industrial sand and gravel and mineral processing permit holders within Region 6 attended the meeting called by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, DENR-6 purposely to present plans for two of the major priorities of the DENR for 2013 – the National Greening Program (NGP) and the Geohazard Mapping Program (1:10,000 scale).
Under the NGP, the Mines Sector have a national target of establishing 34,000 hectares of reforestation areas outside and within the mining contract or permit area from 2011-2013.
In Region 6 last year, 346 hectares was planted or reforested through the efforts of 17 mining tenement holders registered with the NGP.
This year, MGB targets 500 hectares to be reforested that will be distributed among the mining tenement and permit holders in Region 6.
The mining companies can also opt to donate seedlings as their way of participating in the NGP.
Maintenance and protection of planted seedlings are also part of the commitments of the mining tenement and permit holders or the seedling beneficiaries within three years to ensure high survival rate.
On geohazard mapping, the government is speeding up the completion of the National Geohazards Assessment and Mapping Program on a scale of 1:10,000 by 2014.
To achieve this, the DENR-MGB enjoins the mining sector to share their expertise and resources in geohazard assessment and mapping.
In Region 6, the private sector is assigned to assess and map out 24 municipalities to help complete the 133 municipalities and cities of the region by next year.
“This is all part of the public-private-partnership approach of the government in accomplishing its programs and services to better and speedily serve the people. In the case of the mines sector, we can really make a bigger impact on environmental rehabilitation and geohazard mapping within the targeted time frame with the help of the private sector, said RD Juguan. (LAA, MGB-6).