MINDA to boost more the economy and environmental preservation in 2015

DAVAO CITY, Jan 5 (PIA) Mindanao Development Authority aims to strike a balance between preserving the environment and boosting the economy not only this year but onwards 2020.

Romeo Montenegro, chief of the Communications Division of MINDA said the effort is guided by the Mindanao 2020 in making sure that whatever economic gains reached translate in the level of growth in terms of environmental preservation and integration.

He said it is always possible to achieve economic growth even with low level of green-house gas (GHG) emissions.

Montenegro said tree planting is always doable and electrical energy can be drawn in renewable sources and not only from fossil fuel sources.

“It is part of the strategy laid down by MINDA since last year to roll out accelerated implementation of the renewable energy projects in Mindanao such as hydro, bio-mass and solar energy sources,” he said.

Montenegro said that it is projected that between 2015 and 2030, Mindanao will rely less on fossil-fuel based electricity but more on renewable energy sources like hydro, bio-mass and solar energy.

He said MINDA also looks forward to achieve better agricultural practices by making sure that areas defined as watershed areas remain and are protected.

“Watersheds must not be transformed as plantations of certain crops,” Montenegro pointed out.

He said there are also areas where certain types of crops thrive, adding to the tree-growing strategy like cacao, rubber and coffee.

Montenegro said these varieties are also identified as trees under the National Greening Program.

“That’s why in several areas under the Treevolution, we did not plant solely hardwood trees.  We also planted cacao, rubber and coffee in areas we found the viability of these crops in order to generate income,” he said.

Montenegro revealed that in 2015 MINDA aims to plant more trees under the Treevolution program, calling it Treevolution 2.0, adding several millions more to the four million trees planted last year.

He said that MINDA mulls on expanding the involvement in the Treevolution among local government units, companies, student and non-government organizations to adopt certain areas for tree growing in partnership with local residents, especially those varieties planted in 2014.

“This mechanism ensures that the four million trees planted last year grows,” Montenegro said (PIA 11-Joey Sem G. Dalumpines)