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The Energy Development Corporation, represented by its Assistant Vice President and Head of Corporate Support Function Regina Victoria Pascual (top, right) and Assistant Vice President and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility Atty. Allan Barcena (bottom, left) show the signed copy of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on the in-situ conservation of endangered and threatened Philippine native tree species in Palawan island with Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) headed by its Executive Director Atty. Teodoro Jose Matta (top, left) and its project development officer Levita Lagrada. 

LOPEZ-led geothermal leader Energy Development Corporation (EDC) in collaboration with its newest Binhi partner, the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), aims to rescue and propagate more Philippine native tree species endemic to Palawan island. 

With the recent signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the two above-mentioned institutions, more endangered tree species endemic to Palawan island such as the Palawan mangkono (Xanthostemon speciosus), Manggis (Koompassia excelsa), Narig-laot (Vatica maritima) and Palawan narig (Vatica mangachapoi ssp. obtusifolia) that are on the brink of extinction are targeted to be rescued and propagated through the in-situ conservation project under the Binhi program.

Binhi, EDC's nationwide forest restoration program and the country's largest private sector-led greening initiative, aims to restore denuded forests, preserve and propagate threatened native tree species, and protect biodiversity to leave a legacy of a verdant Philippines for future generations.

In-situ conservation, one of the restoration processes under the Binhi program, is the process of conserving ecosystems and natural habitats and the maintenance and recovery of viable populations of species in their natural surroundings. Through this process, the BINHI team aims to rescue and propagate Palawan Narig, Narig Laot and 12 other Palawan-endemic tree species identified to be critically endangered and near extinction. The team shall also provide technical assistance and expertise to PCSD during the implementation of the project.