SM Prime Holdings, Inc. gave P124,000 worth of financial assistance to Integrated Social Forestry (ISF) beneficiaries of Brgy. Bayuyan, President Roxas, Capiz on August 5, 2020.
Capiz Governor Esteban Evan B. Contreras, assisted by Mayor Receliste Escolin, SB Member Lalaine Badana-Young, MENRO Designate Hansel Bereber, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Project Engineer Tino Solidum and Acting CaPENRO Atty. Abeb Arboleda-Depon led the symbolic turnover of the financial assistance to Ms. Mary Jane Estrella, ISF President of Bayuyan Integrated Social Forestry Beneficiaries and Punong Barangay Rudolph Estrella of Brgy. Bayuyan in the said municipality.
“To grow forest, we need to build communities. To build communities, we need to grow livelihood and make these beneficiaries our advocates for environmental conservation, protection, and restoration. All these will be made possible if we also grow partnership with other agencies just like SM Prime Holdings, Inc.,” stressed Atty. Abeb Arboleda-Depon, acting Capiz Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (CaPENRO), during the symbolic turnover ceremony.
To recall, Brgy. Bayuyan was able to plant 5,000 seedlings in support of One Million Trees in One Day Project in 2018. In 2019, SM Prime Holdings, Inc. adopted the said community in compliance with the DENR requirements as to the construction of SM City- Roxas which require them to plant 6,200 trees in the Province of Capiz.
By adopting the community, SM entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with ISF Bayuyan and CaPENRO wherein the former shall allocate the amount of Twenty Pesos (Php20.00) for every tree planted. Fifty percent of the said amount was already turned over last year upon planting of 10,000 seedlings.
This year, the community targets to establish a Narra Tree Plantation. One Thousand Narra seedlings were already forwarded to the ISF for planting. Seedlings were donated by DENR-PENRO Aklan through Aklan Integrated Reforestation Project.
“Daku guid ang amon pagpasalamat sa SM nga naghatag sang fund dire sa Brgy. Bayuyan para sa pagtanom sang mga kahoy. Amon guid ini imaintain kag alagaan para maabtan man sang amon mga kabataan kag kaapohan ang kahoy nga guintanom namon,” said ISF beneficiary Alma Fuentes.
Also present during the turnover ceremony were Resident Engineer April Vic Dotimas of SM Prime Holdings, and Warehouseman Chris Bestudio of SM Prime Holdings. (CaPENRO PR)
