Public-private partnership for the environment

Manila, Philippines - Environment Secretary Ramon Paje and EDC chairman emeritus Oscar Lopez seal the DENR-EDC partnership for the National Greening Program (NGP) of the government. EDC’s landmark reforestation project BINHI is one of the strategic programs under the NGP. Through BINHI, the DENR and EDC will ensure the implementation of a systematic, sustainable, and meaningful reforestation program in EDC’s renewable project locations as well as in areas allocated by the DENR. The DENR and EDC will also establish and maintain a seed bank and an arboretum of threatened species; develop a documentation mechanism   through an interactive website, tree certification, plantation registry and maps; and make available environmental and watershed management data that can be vital to the development of policies and guidelines for reforestation. The NGP and BINHI both aim to alleviate poverty, achieve food security, preserve and enhance biodiversity, and address the problem of climate change. This partnership is also a big step towards the actual execution of EO 26 signed by President Aquino and hopefully encourage more public-private partnerships for the environment.