THE National Power Corp. (NPC) signed a memorandum of agreement with the Climate Change Commission (CCC) for the rehabilitation of some 25 hectares of denuded upland forest within the Caliraya-Lumot watershed forest reserve in Laguna.
Fernando Martin Roxas, NPC president and chief executive officer, said the partnership covers the establishment of new plantations and the nourishing of reforested areas for eight years.
“This partnership will help us hasten the rehabilitation of the Caliraya-Lumot watershed, a critical water resource for Caliraya and Kalayaan hydroelectric power plants. Restoring these open areas will also enhance water conservation, erosion control and biodiversity conservation in the area,” Roxas added.
NPC said under the agreement, a comprehensive and integrated approach will be employed in implementing the reforestation activities including site assessment and planning, reforestation and tree planting, capacity-building of people’s organizations and raising awareness in the communities.
The state-run firm said the partnership is part of its energy sector carbon sequestration initiative program which was launched with the Department of Energy in October 2021 that aims to enjoin the private sector in mitigating the effects of climate change through reforestation.
Among power companies that participated in the program include the Angat Hydro Corp., San Roque Power Corp., Aboitiz Power Renewables, Inc., and SN Aboitiz Power-Benguet Inc.
NPC is mandated to provide power generation and associated power delivery systems via Small Power Utilities Group power plants to islands and communities that are not connected to the main transmission grid.
These missionary electrification projects are jointly funded by revenues from power sales and from the universal charge being collected from all power consumers in the country.
