Mirant marks World Environment Day with tree-planting activity

In celebration of World Environment Day, Mirant Philippines’ Pagbilao Power Station continued its reforestation efforts through a tree planting activity at the Binahaan Watershed Area in Atimonan, Quezon.

The activity was initiated by the Mirant Pagbilao Environmental Section in cooperation with other employees. A total of 207 volunteers participated in the tree-planting activity. Participants and guests were from DENR-Quezon, municipal agriculturist of Pagbilao, Carbon Sink Initiative working group (Brgy. Sta. Catalina, Ilayang Palsabangon and Ilayang Bagumbungan), Sangguniang Kabataan of Malicboy, Pagbilao, Quezon and Brgy. Sta. Catalina, Atimonan, Quezon and 4-H Club Municipal Federation.

Some 600 seedlings were planted in the area. Aside from the tree planting, a solid waste management program was also discussed to educate participants on how to reduce, re-use and recycle materials to conserve natural resources.

Mirant Philippines is a proponent of the Carbon Sink Initiative, the largest private sector mangrove reforestation program in the country. A total of 150 hectares of mangrove and 150 hectares of upland forests are being reforested and rehabilitated.

Rene Morente, Mirant manager for environmental compliance, stressed the importance of trees in maintaining a sound environmental balance. The activity emphasized to every participant that planting and maintaining trees must be the concern of every citizen. "We need not climb mountains and go out of our way to plant trees we can do this even in our own backyards," said Morente.

"The need for the conservation of watershed areas like Binahaan is very important not only to protect biodiversity but also to prevent flash floods and soil erosion during rainy season and to avoid droughts during summer, he added.