LUBAO, Pampanga — Mayor Esmeralda “Esmie” G. Pineda has entered into an agreement on Thursday with a corporate foundation and a non-government organization for the planting and propagation of bamboo trees in Barangay Sta. Catalina here.
Pineda along with representatives of Insular Foundation, Inc. (Insular), the charity arm of insurance giant Insular Life, and Philippine Bamboo Foundation, Inc. (PBF), signed the agreement that would launch the “Kawayanihan: Protecting the Environment and Lives through Community Work and Cooperation” project at the Lubao Bamboo Hub and Ecopark.
Under the agreement, Insular will adopt a 1.8-hectare area of the riverbanks for bamboo planting.
“The overall project goal is to harness the potentials of bamboo in providing practical and effective use in helping to protect the ecosystem and provide economic activities to the communities in the area,” the agreement stated.
Insular will allocate P820,030 for the project to cover for the expenses from the planting to the maintenance of the bamboo trees, including the salaries of workers to be employed in taking care of the bamboo propagules.
The LGU was tasked to hire and train workers for the project while the PBF will provide technical assistance in preparation of the workplan of the project.
PBF was the LGU’s partner in the establishment of the Lubao Bamboo Hub that has gained popularity nationwide as an alternative family-oriented tourist destination.
The Bamboo Hub houses hundreds of bamboo clumps that were planted during annual tree-planting activities of the municipal government.In a statement, Pineda thanked the partners for taking notice of the Bamboo Hub as the LGU’s way of underscoring environmental protection to create economic activities.
“Not only do we want to make the Bamboo Hub a primary tourist attraction but also to emphasize the need to protect our environment for future generations. If we start giving premium to environmental projects, we will surely reap its benefits one way or the other,” Mayor Pineda stressed.
Insular will schedule its tree-planting activity to jumpstart the project.