LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The municipal government in partnership with the Cordillera office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-CAR) continuous to enhance the overall efforts of both the government and the private sector to conserve the remaining forests in the municipality for the benefit of the present and future generation of inhabitants.
The local government’s Adopt-A-Forest Program was launched last June 3, 2021 with 23 partner organizations as part of the activities lined up for the annual celebration of Environment Month every June.
Mayor Romeo K. Salda and Vice Mayor Roderick Awingan led municipal officials in the signing of the memorandum of agreements with 7 additional partner organizations of the local government to sustain the implementation of the environmental preservation and protection programs and to spare the remaining forest cover of the municipality from being affected by deforestation activities of individuals in the various barangays.
Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer (MENRO) Arthur Pedro served as one of the witnesses in the MOA signing that was recently held to help in enhancing the ongoing environmental preservation and protection programs that will help in improving the current state of forests in the different parts of the municipality.
The newly included adopters of forests in the municipality are the Cordillera office of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA-CAR) represented by regional irrigation manager Engr. Benito Espique, Rotary Club of Baguio Highlands ably represented by its president and Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO) general manager Engr. Melchor S. Licoben, HEDCOR, Inc. represented by Engr. Carol C. Tuvera, Bangads La Trinidad chapter represented by Richard Alcuba, Jr., Danyang La Trinidad Valley United Methodist Church represented by P/SSgt. Geoge Tamayo, Benguet State University (BSU) represented by its president Dr. Felipe S. Comila and Valley Bread, Inc. represented by Prestone Kalang-ad.
Mayor Salda expressed his gratitude to the ever-willing adaptors for their sustained commitment in helping the local government enhance its efforts to conserve and protect the various communal forests to prevent the deterioration of their current state because of the different destructive activities of the residents wanting to own portions of the declared reservations.
He encouraged more government and private groups in the municipality to renew their commitment to the ongoing efforts of the concerned government agencies and the local government to conserve and preserve the remaining communal forests that will ensure the sufficient supply of potable water for the increasing population and provide a better state of the environment for the present and future generation of inhabitants.
For his part, Awingan challenged the adaptors to introduce the needed innovations on how to further improve the various activities that will translate to the effective and efficient enhancement of the town’s remaining forests that will sustain the greenery of the locality. By HENT
