THE Mandaue City Government, together with the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), planted 30 Maxima bamboo along the Green Corridor in Barangay Subangdaku Friday, September 17, 2021.
The activity was conducted in line with the celebration of the World Bamboo Bay and International Coastal Clean-Up Day and as part of the city’s support to the rehabilitation of Mahiga Creek.
Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes and DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Melicor Jr. initiated the bamboo planting.
In his speech, Melicor commended the Mandaue City Government for its efforts to rehabilitate the Mahiga Creek, whose banks were previously occupied by informal settlers.
"I am very impressed. The stories where we came from and now are worth to be told to the Central Visayas and to the whole Philippines," said Melicor.
Melicor asked the DENR information office team to make a documentation of the area before it was developed, the strategies that were imposed, the challenges they faced, and the fruits of their labor.
He said he is glad that Mandaue City chose an appropriate bamboo species for the area.
He said DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu already made bamboo as a commodity in the National Greening Program, knowing its benefits, adding that this year, they have 500 hectares throughout the region where bamboos will be planted.
Maxima bamboo is a striped bamboo that can grow to as high as 12 meters with a radius of five centimeters.
Ernie Manatad, chief of Barangay Subangdaku, said they chose to plant bamboo since it has already been exploited in the country.
He said they could help the advocates promote bamboo planting to mitigate climate change, considering that it is a good recycler of carbon dioxide.
Cortes, for his part, said the activity Friday was not just intended to beautify the Mahiga Creek, but it could also help purify the air in the area.
He said their goal for developing the Green Corridor is to have a venue for people to relax, jog, walk and bond with their special someone.
Cortes said that after the Green Corridor project, they will focus on developing the easement of a portion of Butuanon River in Barangay Ibabao-Estancia so they can use it as access road for emergency vehicles in case of emergency.
He said he found it necessary to coordinate with DENR since the Mahiga Creek rehabilitation does not only concern Mandaue City, considering that it also passes by the neighboring cities and municipalities. (KFD)