ROSARIO, AGUSAN DEL SUR — On National Arbor Day 2026, PMC and MMPRC, through the Mine Environmental Protection and Enhancement Office (MEPEO), joined reforestation efforts and launched the Mining Forest Program (MFP) in support of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau’s “Luntiang Bukas” theme. Aligned with the National Greening Program, the initiative aims to strengthen forest rehabilitation, enhance biodiversity, and encourage community involvement in restoring degraded forest areas.

A total of 40 beneficiaries from Barangays Marfil, Libuac, and Bayugan 3 in Rosario, and Barangay Tagbayangbang in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur, were adopted under the MFP. As environmental stewards, they will help establish, protect, maintain, and monitor reforestation sites, reinforcing collaboration between PMC, MMPRC, and their host communities.

The program also established an additional four-hectare plantation beyond the companies’ mining tenements. This supports biodiversity conservation, watershed protection, carbon sequestration, climate resilience, and livelihood opportunities. A highlight of the event was the planting of 200 indigenous tree seedlings, comprising Molave (Vitex parviflora) and Lauan (Shorea contorta), at Purok 9, Barangay Bayugan 3 Plantation. This promotes ecological restoration and climate change mitigation.

The activity was joined by representatives from DENR-CENRO Bunawan, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), community beneficiaries, and PMC and MMPRC personnel, highlighting the importance of collaboration in advancing environmental sustainability. Through the Mining Forest Program, PMC and MMPRC continue to uphold responsible mining by integrating environmental protection, community partnership, and sustainable land rehabilitation, creating greener landscapes and more resilient communities—one tree at a time.