Ucab indigenous small scale miners sustain reforestation program

September 3, 2019 Provincial

ITOGON, Benguet – Smallscale miners of Ucab Indigenous Community Livelihood Association (UICLA) of this mining town, embarked a three-year reforestation project, a commitment to protect the environment and sustain its re-greening program.
Marzan Lubante, UICLA president, said its reforestation program is supported by Benguet Corporation. Lubante said under the program, a total 8,000 pine trees will be planted in a five hectare lot i nside the patented mining claim area of Benguet Corporation, located at Sitio Baayan, Barangay Ucab (Itogon).
It is also within the 20-hectare lot applied for a Small-Scale Mining Contract (SSMC), a portion of which is being applied by UICLA covered by a Minahang Bayan (MB) application of the Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners, Inc (BFSSMI).
On August 23 (Friday), a number of UICLA members let by their president Lubante, board member, Alfred Bugnosen and other association officers, started its site preparation for the series of tree planting activities.
In 2017, UICLA planted a total of 2,000 trees (pine trees, mahogany and melina) in the same reforestation site, but it was limited only to three hectares.
Following the success reforestation that year, marked by a modest survival rate of tress planted, Lubante sees it fit to expand its reforestation program to support BFSSMI, its town environmental protection program, which is also in line with the government re-greening program.
The association also plans to expand its nursery to further enhance its tree planting activities. ”By planting trees, its our association’s simple way to help mitigate environment related risks such as soil erosion, landslides, and flooding,” said Bugnosen, UICLA’s board member and also BFSSMI’s secretary general.
Yearly, UICLA conducts river clean-up drive especially along the Baayan and Canog creeks.
 
Primo Agatep/ABN