Therma South grows 315-K seedlings

Since 2013, a total of 315,686 seedlings are being grown by AboitizPower subsidiary Therma South Inc. (TSI) through its Carbon Sink Management Program (CSMP).

The number of seedlings grown in the past three years represents 295 hectares of land planted in the areas of Marilog, Paquibato, and areas surrounding the power plant.

“For the past three years, we have planted and grown different fruit trees, indigenous trees, and fast growing trees intended for reforestation and carbon sequestration,” said Engr. Valentin S. Saludes III, TSI Plant Manager.

The CSMP is the power plant’s flagship environmental program that targets to plant and grow one million seedlings from 2013 to 2020 in 1,000 hectares of land in Davao City. This is done through partnerships with different communities in Davao City.

The main feature of the program is the planting and growing of trees that will “capture” the carbon dioxide footprint of the power plant, thus creating a “sink” or storage for carbon.

“The tree species that are seen to effectively sequester carbon emissions are falcata, mahogany, mangium, and yemane. These are also planted and grown together with other like fruit-bearing and indigenous trees,” said Andrei Vincent Soriano, TSI Pollution Control Officer.

Among the trees planted are Dipterocarp species like White Lauan, Mayapis, and Tanguile; indigenous species such as Duguan, Narra and Tugas; Ipil-ipil, Mahogany, Golden Shower, Petroleum Nut, Callandra, Alibang-bang, Avocado, Duhat, Rambutan, Durian, Cacao, Coffee, Marang Banguhan, Nangka, Bani, Bitaog, and Talisai.

The seedlings were planted with the help of TSI’s CSMP partners, the Matigsalug Council of Elders of Marilog District Davao City, Inc. (MACOEMADDACI), Matigsalog-Manobo Tribal People Council of Elders/Leaders Davao, Inc. (MAMATRIPCEDI), and the Pambansang Mannalon, Mag-uuma, Magbabaul, Magsasaka ng Pilipinas (P4MP) Paquibato District Farmers Federation, Inc.

Saludes added that CSMP is not only about planting and growing of seedlings but the program sets itself apart from other environmental programs by creating stronger and more relevant ties with the immediate communities that will become the stewards of the trees.

TSI’s partnership with the communities is two-pronged, with the company providing capacity-building interventions and, at the same time, extending technical support, equipment, and financial assistance for them to become responsible farmers and stewards of their land.

“The overall goal of the TSI CSMP is to establish a cost-effective, long lasting and significant strategy for carbon sequestration  as mitigation to the emissions of the power plant, and to promote and achieve sustainability in forest protection and conservation  in the communities where it will be established,” said Socorro Patindol, AboitizPower Coal Group AVP for Environment.

This year, TSI has planted and grown some 3,600 seedlings in Marilog and Binugao, Toril, Davao City through the Aboitiz Group-wide simultaneous tree planting activity last July 2016 and the Kadayawan Tree Planting Activity in August.