Hedcor conducts forest fire protection on adopted forests

BAKUN, Benguet -- After several river clean ups held in celebration of the World Water Day, and maintenance activities to celebrate Earth Hour, Hedcor, a renewable power company coursed its efforts to the protection of adopted forest against forest fires this summer season.

“A healthy forest is a face of a healthy environment,” said Michael Decoyna, Hedcor forester assigned in Bakun,  where Hedcor’s 70MW Bakun AC hydropower plant operates.

Decoyna is one of the foresters of Hedcor in its 21 plants located in Benguet, Mt. Province, Ilocos Sur, Davao City and Davao del Sur.  Hedcor provides 170MW of clean and renewable power thru its run-of-river hydropower plants.

Hedcor deploys foresters to handle full implementation of the company’s watershed management plan customized to fit local environment.

To combat occurrence of forest fires to these areas, Hedcor with the help of the community conducts preventive measures to avoid the fearsome phenomenon.

“Aside from the continual maintenance activities, we are currently creating fire lines on the fire prone parts of our projects to prevent the crossing of forest fire from the outside to the plantation and to serve as a line of fire control point,” Decoyna said.

The summer season posts serious threat to the forests as forest fires are rampant in this time of the year.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, from 2000 to 2010, they recorded a total of 34,921 hectares affected by forest fires with 19,607 hectares located inside natural forest, while the other 15,314 hectares inside plantation areas.

 “More fuel for forest fires will become available as drier conditions will increase the probability of wildfires in the months ahead, and prevention is the best line of defense we can mount against them” DENR Secretary Ramon J. Paje said in an article released on the agency’s website.

Last year, Hedcor was able to plant over 250,000 trees covering over 300 hectares at 86% survival rate. This includes the accomplishment of the five year Mt. Apo reforestation feat last December.

Forests serve as the lung of the Earth by soaking up pollution, providing natural habitats for wildlife both flora & fauna, and more importantly mitigating global warming.

Together with this sustainability journey, are the communities.Hedcor conducts information drives to its host community to inculcate the significance of resource conservation thru optimum utilization and protection. Through this practices, a profound appreciation of the long term benefits of the company’s reforestation projects to the environment and ultimately, to the community is instilled.

Hedcor was recently acknowledged as one of the country’s most environmental friendly receiving the Seal of Approval from the DENR Philippine Environment Partnership Program.

The company is also certified in ISO 14001 as a testament of its unyielding pursuit to environmental sustainability.