KORONADAL CITY, Philippines (PIA) – At least 425 bamboo seedlings were planted along the riverbanks in Barangay BS Aquino Jr., Norala, South Cotabato, to start the riparian zone re-vegetation (RZR) program of the Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO). Acting PEMO chief Siegfred Flaviano said the program aims to help mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. The program is a joint collaborative of the barangay and municipal governments, Norala National High School, and the landowners and claimants in the area. The initial plan was to plant the seedlings inside the school premises, but later expanded along the riverbanks.

Rubber Nursery

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) officer-in-charge Governor Mujiv S. Hataman launched the ARMM Central Rubber Nursery over the weekend and distributed various Agri-Fishery Inputs in Barangay Sta. Clara, Lamitan City, Basilan. Hataman said the 10-hectare rubber nursery project at the Sta. Clara Breeding Station, the first of its kind in the ARMM, will enhance rubber seedlings and production with an expected output of 1,220,000 propagated rubber seedlings of seven various clones. The project is expected to benefit rubber farmers or growers in the province and revive the rubber industry in Basilan. (Nonoy Lacson)

Maritime Dev't

DAVAO CITY – Non-Convention Sized Ships (NCSS) from the Philippines will soon be permitted to sail across the maritime borders of four countries in Southeast Asia once a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is approved by a Sea Linkages Working group under a subregional economic cooperation bloc, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) said Wednesday. The MinDA announced that the Philippines will formally endorse the proposed MoU on NCSS when the Sea Linkages Working Group of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines – East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) meets next month. (Mick Basa)

Power Program

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) – More villages in Northern Mindanao will soon have access to electricity. This developed after the Department of Energy (DoE) approved the energization of 68 more villages in the region following the allocation of some P24.6 million earmarked from the electrification fund of energy-firm STEAG State Power Inc. (SPI). So far, P31.9 million had been earmarked by SPI as contribution to the DoE’s electrification program. Target communities for this project include 11 villages in Cagayan de Oro City, 50 in Misamis Oriental, and seven in Misamis Occidental. (Mike Crismundo)

Trade Incentive

DAVAO CITY (PIA) – Micro, small, and medium-scale entrepreneurs here are asking for a simpler processing of application to avail of local and national tax exemptions under the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises (BMBE) law. This turned out a common clamor of most participants during the 3rd public hearing for the amendment of the BMBE law held here recently. House Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development chairman and Representative Teddy Casino explained that certain provisions of the law need to be amended as data showed only very few MSMEs have availed the benefits of this law.