DENR lauds FDC Misamis Power’s carbon capture program

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau in Region 10 (DENR-EMB 10) has lauded FDC Misamis Power Corp.’s forest management and reforestation programs to capture carbon emissions and maintain air quality in the province of Misamis Oriental.

In a statement on Thursday, FDC Misamis said it established the Carbon Sink Management Program (CSMP) in 2018 in partnership with DENR-EMB 10 and Barangay Sambulawan in El Salvador City.

The program covers 140 hectares of forest lands.

FDC Misamis said that, so far, over 80 hectares have been planted with indigenous tree species such as An-an, Tipolo, Maribojoc, Bangkal, Acacia, Alim (Alum), Magtangali, Rattan, and Kalikoy, among others.

An additional 40 hectares were populated with Mangium and Bagras species, it added.

The DENR-EMB 10 lauded the program as “a show window of a successful carbon sink for coal-fired power plants in the Region."

The company said that with the carbon sink project, it was able to establish a man-made forest that helps sequester carbon emissions to maintain air quality in the province.

"It is encouraging to know that DENR-EMB 10 sees our efforts, which is more than for compliance purposes. This project, along with many other social development programs, is our way of giving back to Mindanao. It is consistent with Filinvest’s desire to make a difference in the lives of Filipinos," said FDC Misamis president and CEO Juan Eugenio Roxas.

"The disruption brought by the COVID-19 pandemic may have given the planet some breathing space, temporarily improving air quality worldwide. But as we move forward in the post-COVID era, environmental stewardship must be prioritized to truly mitigate greenhouse gas emissions," he added.

FDC Misamis is a subsidiary of FDC Utilities Inc., the Gotianun-led Filinvest Development Corp.'s utilities and power arm.

It operates a 3x135-megawatt circulating fluidized bed coal thermal plant in Villanueva town, Misamis Oriental.

Since its commercial operations in 2016, the facility has been supplying stable and cost-effective power.—AOL, GMA News