DAGUPAN CITY, May 9 (PNA) — The town of Sual is eyeing to plant one million trees comprising of coconuts, cacao and coffee (cocaco) starting from residents’ backyards and up to the mountain sides which now badly need reforestation.
This was bared by Mayor Robert Arcinue who said there are some 7,000 households in Sual which they intend to give 30 seedlings each or 210,000 seedlings to be planted in their backyards or any vacant lot.
However, Arcinue clarified that they will give seedlings only to families who wanted to plant and will plant the remaining seedlings in barren mountainsides that have lost their forest covers over the years due to slash and burn farming or “kaingin”
He said they chose coconuts, cacao and coffe to plant because aside from helping in the reforestation of the town, these trees when they bear fruit will become a chief source of livelihood for the people.
The municipal government has tied up with the San Miguel Energy Corporation (SMEC) in the massive reforestation project specifically using coconuts, cacao and coffee.
The reforestation project also intends to help stabilize the soil in the mountainsides and help prevent erosion.
Arcinue said this will complement the ilang-ilang seedlings the town of Sual planted on both sides of the national highways at the beginning of his term in July 2013.
Sual is home to the 1,218 megawatt Sual coal-fired power plant and is being eyed by Kampac, an international corporation based in Dubai, as the location of several multi-billion dollar projects, like an oil refinery, international port, petrochemical and even another coal-fired or gas-fired power plant.(PNA)