Carbon neutral program launched
ILOILO – To further curb carbon footprint, the country’s top foresters launched the Carbon Neutral Program at this province’s summer capital - the mountain village of Bucari in the town of Leon.
Tom Valdez, president of the Society of Filipino Foresters Inc. (SFFI), said the June 5, 2016 tree planting activity is a response to the country’s commitment to the 21stConference of Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Of all possible areas in the country, Bucari was chosen by the SFFI for its ecological value and as an emerging eco-tourism site.
“Bucari is where the headwaters of Aganan and Sibalom rivers could be found. It is also a forest conservation site,” said Livino B. Duran, Assistant Regional Director for Management Services of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Western Visayas (DENR-6).
“We are encouraging everyone to be mindful of their carbon footprint. We need to plant more trees to help sequester carbon emission from the atmosphere,” added Duran, who also serves as SFFI president for Western Visayas region.
For this month’s Environment Month, another bureau of DENR-6 also spearheaded another carbon footprint reduction activity.
Atty. Jonathan Bulos, Regional Director of the Environmental Management Bureau in Western Visayas (EMB-6), said thousands of bikers intensified the Share a Road Movement during a June 3, 2016 ride in Iloilo City.
The activity was in partnership with the Iloilo Bike Council, Iloilo city and provincial governments, the regional offices of the Department of Tourism, and Department of Public Works and Highways in Western Visayas, Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas, John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (JBLFMU), SM City Iloilo, Robinsons Place Iloilo, and renowned environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa Jr.
“We must be cautious of our carbon footprint. How much we emit is how much damage to the atmosphere we inflict. Planting trees and riding bikes can reduce carbon footprint,” added DENR-6 Regional Director Jim Sampulna.