MENRE-BARMM, Cotabato Light, Aboitiz Foundation ink MOA for Timako Hill shoreline protection
TIMAKO HILL SHORELINE TO BE SAFEGUARDED AND PROTECTED
COTABATO CITY — On 08 November 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy (MENRE) – BARMM, Cotabato Light and Power Company (CoLight), and Aboitiz Foundation, Inc inked a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the protection, preservation, and conservation of the Timako Hill shoreline as part of the Adopt-an-Estero/Water Body Program of the Ministry.
The signing of the memorandum of agreement was facilitated by the Environment Management Services (EMS) of this Ministry, which is mandated to restore, protect, and enhance environmental quality for good public health, environmental integrity, and economic viability, and implement several environment-related laws.
With their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental sustainability growth (ESG) components, CoLight aims that their employees, as well as the communities in their franchise area, will increase the level of maturity when it comes to environmental protection. Highlights of the MOA include the planting and monitoring of the survival of two hundred (200) mangroves in the designated shoreline area, conduct of clean-up drive activities, strengthening of information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns, and community mobilization activities for the overall benefit of the Timako Hill and the nearby communities. CoLight, together with MENRE and concerned Local Government Units (LGUs), are tasked with monitoring the progress of the said protection program.
Arsenio Jovero III, Customer Service Group Head of CoLight, is hopeful that this partnership will contribute to the environment’s well-being, not only in their franchise areas but in BARMM in general. "This partnership will be a forever commitment of CoLight to MENRE for Cotabato City and neighboring areas," said Jovero III.
Bangsamoro Director General (BDG) Atty. Badr E. Salendab is delighted to work with CoLight and reiterated that this God-given nature should be well taken care of for the benefit of this generation and the generations to come.
"We hope that this undertaking will encourage other industries in the BARMM to participate in environmental protection as this is a global mandate and everyone’s responsibility, not just the government's," said EMS Director Jalani M. Pamlian.