TACLOBAN CITY — A major forest restoration initiative seeking to rehabilitate 120,000 hectares of degraded rainforest in the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP) formally got underway Friday,Sept.4, with project partners committing to a long-term effort to protect biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience and provide sustainable livelihoods to local communities.
The Green Samar Project was launched during a groundbreaking ceremony at the SINP headquarters in Sitio Campo Uno, marking the start of a privately backed initiative aimed at restoring degraded forests within the country’s largest terrestrial protected area.
The project is a partnership among the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), French nature restoration company aDryada, and local partner Samar Bamboo Corporation under a 25-year agreement, with an option to extend it for another 25 years.
The initiative is expected to generate about P80 million in annual investments through high-integrity carbon finance, without relying on public funds.
Aside from forest restoration, the project is expected to create jobs and sustainable bamboo-based livelihood opportunities for more than 20,000 community members, providing an economic component to the long-term conservation effort.
Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan said environmental protection must also address the needs of communities living near and within forest areas.
“Protecting the environment must also address the needs of our communities,” Tan said, emphasizing bamboo development as a potential source of livelihood for residents.
Tan was recognized during the ceremony for her support for environmental protection, forest conservation and sustainable natural resource management programs in Samar.
The project also aims to protect important wildlife habitats, including areas where the critically endangered Philippine Eagle is found.
DENR Central Office Assistant Director for the Forest Management Bureau Atty. Thomas Kabigting, who delivered a message from the agency’s central office, stressed the importance of cooperation among government agencies, local governments, communities and private-sector partners in protecting Samar’s natural resources.
DENR Eastern Visayas Regional Executive Director Arturo Salazar, aDryada Chief Executive Officer Fabio Ferrari, Green Samar BioSPV president Ruben Diego Picardo, and provincial and local government officials also attended the ceremony.
Ferrari thanked government agencies and local stakeholders for supporting the initiative, while Picardo outlined the project’s long-term goal of restoring and protecting Samar’s forests.
Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales also highlighted the importance of the SINP and welcomed the project as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between Samar and Eastern Samar in protecting the island’s natural resources.
The ceremony culminated in the placement of a Green Time Capsule, symbolizing the stakeholders’ commitment to restoring Samar’s forests for future generations, followed by a tree-planting activity involving government officials, project partners and other stakeholders.
The SINP covers about 335,000 hectares and is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage status. Its extensive forests and ecosystems provide critical habitats for wildlife and support the conservation of Samar Island’s biodiversity.
The Green Samar Project is designed to combine forest rehabilitation, biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation, sustainable livelihoods and community development as part of a long-term strategy to protect Samar’s remaining natural forests.
