In photo: (L-R) Asst. Prof. Michael Lawton R. Alcala, Chairperson of SU Department of Biology; Dr. Margaret Helen U. Alvarez, Interim Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Research (VPAAR), Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann, Silliman University President; Maria Nancy P. Ibuna, EDC Head of Corporate Relations and Communications Division; Myrissa Lepiten-Tabao, EDC Head of Corporate Relations in Negros; and Atty. Renato R. Bonto, Security Head-Negros, and Mt. Apo.
Valencia, Negros Oriental — In a bid to ensure the survival of threatened Philippine trees, Silliman University (SU) and First Gen-owned Energy Development Corporation (EDC) launched an arboretum within the premises of the SU Center for Tropical Conservation Studies (CENTROP) last September 4, 2024.
The arboretum, a product of a Memorandum of Agreement signed in October 2020, will house a collection of endangered native tree species. Through BINHI, EDC’s banner environment program, EDC will be providing Silliman University native tree seedlings along with technical assistance in their maintenance.
Left photo: (Left) Myrissa Lepiten-Tabao (Right) Dr. Margaret Helen U. Alvarez, Interim Vice-President for Academic Affairs and Research (VPAAR), EDC Head of Corporate Relations in Negros
Right photo: (Left) Dr. Betty Cernol-McCann, Silliman University President; and (right) Maria Nancy P. Ibuna, EDC Head of Corporate Relations and Communications Division.
On March 30, 2022, EDC and SU planted the first 100 seedlings of 25 endangered native tree species in the SU-EDC BINHI Arboretum and another 100 last June 25, 2022. 130 more seedlings were planted today, September 4 where 25 species planted out of 60 species were mostly Visayas species like Red Lauan (Shorea negrosensis) and Almon (Shorea almon), among others.
SU’s 19-hectare CENTROP in Palinpinon, Valencia is used as a field laboratory to expand and relocate CENTROP-managed endemic wildlife fauna. The first phase of the arboretum partnership occupies 0.7 hectares.
Since its inception in 2008, BINHI has partnered with 88 forest communities to plant a total of 10,260 hectares throughout the country where Indigenous forest tree species are prioritized. For EDC, close collaboration with local communities is crucial, especially in ensuring proper site-species matching and high survival rates. This partnership benefits both, where the communities are engaged in economically-beneficial initiatives and the arboretum contributes to EDC’s mission of forging collaborative pathways for a decarbonized and regenerative future.
The newly-established arboretum is one of EDC’s 41 arboreta established in partnership with public and private institutions nationwide, with SU becoming the 179th partner out of 218 to sign the Memorandum of Agreement. To date, the BINHI program has planted almost 6.9 million seedlings to rescue, secure, and mainstream the country’s 145 most threatened native tree species.
About the Energy Development Corporation
EDC is First Gen’s 100% RE company and the largest pure renewable energy company in the Philippines. It operates 1,169.85 MW of geothermal, 150 MW of wind, 132 MW of hydroelectric power, and 12 MW of solar power plants—for a total of 1,484.5 MW of clean and renewable energy. Recognized as a world leader in geothermal technology, the Company operates in various locations in the Philippines, including in Bicol, Leyte, Negros Island, and Mindanao. https://www.energy.com.ph
About BINHI
BINHI is the largest private sector-led forest reforestation initiative in the Philippines. Energy Development Corporation’s BINHI program collaborates with the country’s top foresters, botanists, taxonomists, conservationists, and wildlife biologists to reforest degraded watersheds and rescue, secure, and mainstream the 145 most threatened Philippine native tree species.
BINHI’s forest and biodiversity conservation initiatives aim to protect, conserve, and maintain the integrity of habitats and diverse ecosystems that thrive within EDC’s geothermal and wind project sites and throughout the rest of the Philippines. https://binhi.ph/
