The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Central Luzon and a mining firm is set to rehabilitate and protect an 82-hectare bamboo plantation in the town of Sta. Cruz, Zambales.

The DENR signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Shangfil Mining & Trading Corporation (SMTC) for a five-year partnership on the said bamboo plantation rehabilitation project, reinforcing greening and reforestation efforts in Central Luzon.

DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo and SMTC President Jaime Lazaro both signed the MOA, stipulating that the private firm will support the replanting, maintenance, and protection of the bamboo plantation in Barangay Guinabon, which was previously established in 2013.

Meanwhile, the DENR will provide technical assistance, monitoring, and capacity-building activities.

DENR Masinloc Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer Donaver Guevarra said that the project targets an 85-percent seedling survival rate. He added that this project will prioritize bamboo, as well as native and fruit-bearing tree species to strengthen forest cover, enhance biodiversity, and increase carbon sequestration.

Pablo stressed that the partnership demonstrates how government and the private sector can work together to accelerate forest restoration and promote long-term environmental sustainability.

“This collaboration reflects our commitment to restore degraded lands and strengthen climate resilience. By working with the private sector, we accelerate reforestation efforts towards a greener and healthier environment,” he said.

The initiative aligns with the Expanded National Greening Program under Executive Orders 26 and 193, positioning bamboo as a strategic commodity for climate mitigation, livelihood, and biodiversity conservation.