Officials and staff of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, and Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation led by CESE-DENR 13 Regional Director Atty. Felix S. Alicer, MGB 13 Regional Director Engr.Roger A. De Dios, and MMDC President and CEO Yulo E. Perez, during the MOA signing signifying MMDC’s participation in DENR’s “Adopt an NGP (National Greening Project) Site”.
BUTUAN CITY – To demonstrate its commitment to intensify its rehabilitation efforts, Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation (MMDC) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), signifying MMDC’s participation in “Adopt an NGP (National Greening Project) Site” – a DENR project that pursues rehabilitation of open and degraded forest lands in the country.
MMDC will allot around P6.3 million for the project and this funding shall be managed by DENR based on a 3-year Work and Financial Plan that covers the production/procurement and planting of over 286,560 quality assorted seedlings and the 3-year maintenance and protection of a 200-hectare plantation. This joint undertaking is the first of its kind, with MMDC being the first mining company to partner with DENR and MGB on the project.
Key participants and signatories during the MOA signing were CESE-DENR 13 Regional Director Atty. Felix S. Alicer, MGB 13 Regional Director Engr.Roger A. De Dios, and MMDC President and CEO Yulo E. Perez.
“We at Marcventures strongly support the mandate of President Rodrigo Duterte and DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu to strengthen and accelerate mine rehabilitation through the government’s flagship reforestation program dubbed as the Enhanced National Greening Program (E-NGP),” said MMDC’s Vice Chairman Mr.Isidro C. Alcantara.
Alcantara added that MMDC continues to speed up and improve its rehabilitation initiatives through other environmental projects that pursue sustainable livelihood development and translate to economic benefits, such as MMDC’s existing bamboo plantation project and the growing of crash crops like cacao and coffee.
Meanwhile, MMDC President Yulo E. Perez said that this MOA signing is “just but one of the many ways through which MMDC complies with MGB’s prior directive for the Company to plant a total of 3 million trees.”
DENR’s Atty. Alicer expressed gladness that MMDC initiated this partnership. He said he hopes to be able to showcase this to other mining companies, and similar partnerships will be forged in the near future.
The MOA signing was held at the DENR Caraga Regional Office in Ambago, Butuan City on July 17, 2018 and was also witnessed by DENR 13 Officer-in-Charge, Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Ben-Ali B. Decampong, DENR 13 License, Patents, and Deeds Division Chief Romeo L. Luengas, DENR 13 Conservation and Development Division Chief Nilda G. Ebron, DENR Regional Public Affairs Office Chief Herson F. Gallego, DENR Asst. Enforcement Division Chief Leonila L. Rosales, MMDC General Manager Rodrigo C. Cal, MMDC Environmental Manager Manuel A. Torres, MMDC Finance Manager Ernelyn Rose D. Balderas, and MMDC Forester Miguel B. Loremia III.