By Rhaydz B. Barcia
TIWI, Albay, July 5 (PNA) — In the heart of Sitio Capantagan, Barangay Cale here sturdily stands a 21-meter-high, 398-centimeter in diameter and multi-stem balete tree.
This 105-year-old balete tree has withstood three unforgettable super typhoons that hit the country – “Trix”, “Sening” and “Reming” – yet it has remained unyielding, a strong monument to the Albayanos’ steadfastness amid calamities and other challenges.
Recognizing the century-old tree, Asia’s oldest geothermal company — the Philippine Geothermal Production Co. Inc., the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Bicol Regional Executives and Directors Associations, Inc. (Rediras) decided to preserve and protect it and other century-old trees under the Save 100/100 Project, which the partners launched on June 26 and is now in full swing.
Napoleon C. Saporsantos, PGPCI vice president for asset management, said the launch of Save 100/100 Project is anchored on PGPCI’s corporate social responsibility of protecting people and the environment.
“Launching this region-wide initiative within an organic community with the support of different institutions should serve as a model to other local governments and communities in the entire Bicol Region. PGPCI has been operating for more than 40 years now and we’re committed to protect the environment,” he said.
This town in Albay province, which is rich in renewable energy, is the DENR’s model for saving forest cover and biodiversity in Bicol Region.
DENR Regional Director Gilbert Gonzales, also Rediras president, said the department is accounting for century-old trees as these are the country’s heritage that have withstood extreme forces of nature, thus, have witnessed land-water-biodiversity and people relationship.
“After typhoon Glenda, we were so disappointed because the centennial acacia tree at the Bicol University was uprooted. So, one of our thrusts today is to identify and locate the remaining century-old trees across the region so it can be taken care of,” Gonzales said.
“There are one billion trees in single planet. We encourage LGUs to do what the LGU-Tiwi has done to manage and protect the trees. I hope everybody will support us,” he added.
Tiwi Vice Mayor David Beato said all stakeholders should work together to protect the country’s forests to mitigate the impact of climate change.
“Tiwi was hit thrice by Category 5 super typhoons — Trix in 1951, Sening in 1972 and Reming in 2006. But our forest cover is still dense, owing to the strong stakeholder partnership like the PGPCI and the public,” Beato said.
He said he remembered that during Marcos’ time, they could not graduate in Grade 6 if they did not plant 20 seedlings with 100-percent survival rate as their passport to graduation.
“This is a mandatory requirement to all students throughout the nation, that’s why we in the Sangguniang Bayan passed a resolution supporting the Save 100/100 Project to protect centennial trees in our town to preserve the ecology and secure them as a legacy for future generations,” Beato added.
Lawyer Marylou Duka-Castillo, Securities and Exchange Commission Bicol regional director, said the Save 100/100 Project is a timely one, being relevant to what’s happening to the world today.
“Our environment suffers great destruction with forest denuded, air and oceans polluted — all due to evil acts of the modern man. The Bicol Region still boasts of virgin forests, clean beaches rivers and lakes that’s why tourists flock to our region. But how long can we sustain this? What have we done to preserve Mother Earth? The Save 100/100 is a big step to help preserve the environment. Let us save trees and help save lives,” she said.
The Save 100/100 aims to preserve and protect century-old trees in the Bicol Region.
The initiative was launched in Tiwi town as the birthplace of geothermal renewable energy development in the country.
Tiwi has the Mt. Malinao protected area and is also known for its environmental advocacies.
The PGPCI’s predecessor, the Philippine Geothermal Inc. (PGI), pioneered in geothermal energy development in the country in 1971.
The US firm CGPHL, then a subsidiary of Union Oil Co. of California, was the forerunner of the PGI, and then, the Unocal Philippines, Inc.
It entered into a service contract with the National Power Corp. for a pioneering venture that transformed the government’s 2.5kW experiment in the steam fields in Albay province into the first commercial geothermal power project in Southeast Asia with the discovery of the Naglagbong-1 well in Tiwi in 1972.
Tiwi’s commercial geothermal operations began in 1979, ushering the birth of the Philippine geothermal industry.
Commercial operations in the steam fields of Mak-Bak, named after the two majestic mountains called Makiling and Banahaw, located in the provinces of Batangas and Laguna, also began in 1979.
The PGPCI is committed to building on the complementary strengths of its shareholders and to continue its legacy of providing a clean, stable, reliable and renewable source of energy to meet the country’s growing power requirements. (PNA)