The municipality of Malungon, Sarangani recently held a massive planting of bamboo seedlings along the watersides of Barangay. Upper Lumabat River to help rehabilitate the critical riverbanks which have become a source of flash flood in the town’s lowlands in recent years.
Some 5,000 bamboo seedlings were planted at a 4.2-km stretch, which was participated in by municipal officials and employees, local police, civil society groups, people’s organizations and local townsfolk.
The Malungon municipal government also signed a memorandum of agreement with the Barangay. Upper Lumabat barangay council for the bamboo growing project, which will also be a potential income-generating project.
According to Mayor Maria Theresa Constantino, who led the activity, the undertaking is part of the municipality’s environmental protection program for sustainable development.
A landlocked town in northeastern Sarangani, it was awarded last year for being the Best Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council during the Gawad Kalasag Awards of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
The bamboo reforestation is part of the 11th Slang Festival, which showcases the way of life of the Blaan and Tagakaulo indigenous people through dance, music and sporting events.
A first-class municipality, Malungon is a touristic town known for the ecotourism and cultural sites such as the Lamlifew Cultural Village and School of Living Traditions, the Kalon Barak Skyline Ridge, and a couple of agri and farm tourism sites.