Benguet Mines joins in on DENR activity to meet tree-planting requirements

Benguet Nickel Mines Inc., or BNMI, will be participating in the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' July 13 tree-planting activity at Sta. Cruz, Zambales. 

 

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau had required BNMI to plant 500 tree seedlings per hectare in 100 hectares, for a total of 50,000 seedlings, within a three-year period starting 2012. 

 

According to a BNMI news release, the company has so far planted a total of some 39,232 seedlings. It plans to plant 40,000 tree seedlings during the July 13 activity. 

 

They also aim to plant another 20,000 seedlings on August 12 in celebration of Benguet Corporation’s 109th anniversary. BNMI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Benguet Corp.

 

BNMI said that, by end-2012, the company will have planted nearly 100,000 trees, exceeding the three-year Mines Bureau target by 98 percent.

 

The news release also said that, from 1903 to 2011, Benguet Corp. planted 23.7 million trees within and outside of its mining areas. 

 

The July 13 tree-planting activity is part of the DENR’s National Greening Program which encourages companies to coordinate with local government units to realize the goal of planting 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares by 2016.

 

The program hopes to mitigate the negative effects of deforestation and environmental degradation, and minimize the devastating effects of frequent typhoons brought about by climate change.

 

Concerned agencies like the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the DENR’s Region 3 Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, provincial board members and residents of the Municipality of Sta. Cruz, and officials of the Sangguniang Bayan of Barangay Guisguis will also take part in the tree planting activity. — DVM, GMA News