Boracay Island—Geothermal producer Energy Development Corp. is investing P10 million in the rehabilitation of its adopted wetland in Barangay Balabag here over a three-year period.
“Under our memorandum of agreement with the DENR [Department of Environment and Natural Resources], the BWCP is a three-year project,” EDC corporate social responsibility head Allan Barcena said.
“We plan to invest P10 million during this period. Aside from the walkway and view deck, a visitor information center and other visitor amenities will be built here in the future,” Barcena said.
The 7.79-hectare Wetland No. 2 is one of the nine wetlands in the island identified by the DENR where environmental rehabilitation is needed. The brackish water swamp that has been turned into a construction dump over the years.
Wetlands are areas that are permanently or seasonally saturated by water and plays a critical role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
EDC is developing Wetland No. 2 into the Boracay Wetland Conservation Park to serve as an arboretum for threatened native tree species under the Binhi reforestation and greening initiative.
Binhi is the company’s forest restoration program that prioritizes the propagation of 96 identified rare and threatened native tree species.
The wetland project was inaugurated in October 2018, coinciding with the island’s reopening. The company is working with the community to help sustain the project.
“We want to develop the community to become an eco partner, not only for rehabilitation but also for livelihood,” Barcena said.
EDC is the largest diversified renewable energy firm in the country, with installed total capacity of 1,456.8 megawatts of purely renewable energy.
After a thorough assessment of endemic flora and fauna in the location, EDC has planted the appropriate native tree species that will thrive in a wetland environment and that can support marine and land animals already existing in the area.
BWCP is rich in rare plants, including threatened species like Sander’s Alocasia, Narra, Ipil, Kubi, Antipolo, Isis, Sakat, Balakat and Bakauan Dagat.
EDC’s partnership with DENR is a continuing initiative that goes beyond rehabilitating the wetland and planting more trees in the area. At present, visitors can commune with nature from the scenic view deck and delight in observing local and migratory birds.
BWCP as part of EDC’s Binhi program expands EDC’s advocacy and mission to restore denuded forests, preserve and propagate threatened native tree species and protect biodiversity to leave a legacy of a verdant Philippines for the next generation.
The Binhi program, now in its 10th year, has reforested 9,196 hectares across EDC’s geothermal sites located in Leyte, Bicol, Negros Oriental and North Cotabato. To propagate these native tree species, Binhi now has 162 partners across 16 regions in the country.
As of 2018, Binhi has effectively helped EDC attain a carbon negative status. In its sustainability report, EDC’s geothermal reservations have effectively absorbed 970,472 tons of carbon dioxide.
Officials said that with BWCP and Binhi, Boracay can look forward to a future where not only its clean waters and white sands showcase environmental sustainability, but also its very own native tree arboretum that the local community can be proud of.