PHOTO CAPTION: Globe empowers Deputized Forest Guards of Mt. Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape with mobile phones, SIMs and insurance policies
Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom further strengthens its environmental advocacy by joining the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE) in improving biodiversity conservation in key protected areas.
The Up-Scaling Forest Restoration project focuses on North Negros Natural Park; Ilog-Hilabangan Watershed Forest Reserve; Nug-as, Dalaguete and Tabunan Critical Forest Habitat; Polillo Group of Islands; Mt. Banahaw-San Cristobal Protected Landscape; Mt. Nacolod Watershed; Panigan-Tanugan & Talomo-Lipadas; and Arakan Valley Forest Corridor.
“Globe is fully aware about the effects of climate change that is why we continue to work hand-in-hand with various environmental organizations like FPE in ensuring that we are able to protect our biodiversity through our core strength which is information and communications technology,” said Fernando Esguerra, Director, Globe Corporate Social Responsibility.
He added: “ICT, particularly mobile technology, proves to be a critical tool to enable indigenous peoples organizations to be actively engaged; for service payment and advisory support to be efficient; and for the program’s over-all monitoring, reporting and evaluation systems to happen in real time. Globe is here to provide the critical enabling technologies to help FPE see through its support mandate to the implementing community-based partners and local stakeholders.”
Globe partnered with FPE three years ago to enhance the capacity and involvement of local partners and stakeholders for the protection and rehabilitation of the Arakan Valley forest corridor which is the Philippine Eagles’ forest habitat.
This time, Globe is expanding its engagement by providing ICT-based solutions such as mobile phones and SIM cards to the rest of the key protected areas to enable and empower the deputized forest guards to report accurate information in a timely manner about the place they are protecting. Globe will also provide insurance to the deputized forest guards due to the hazards of the job. The SMS-based platform for the insurance facilitated easier registration of the forest guards and ensured coverage right after the turnover.
Forest guards are also given an option to open a mobile bank account under BPI Globe BanKO with the use of their Globe SIM.
Through the project, it is expected that further decline and degradation of existing target forest areas covering over 200,000 hectares would be mitigated and that long term mechanisms for conserving and monitoring biodiversity and forest habitats are instituted and sustained.
The team is currently institutionalizing site-based knowledge banks of forest restoration program which will serve as centralized repository of reliable and updated data on the various efforts undertaken. They are also developing a forest co-management plan to explore economic opportunities from forest-based enterprises and a built-in safety and protection measures for the biodiversity in the target forest areas.
They are also looking at the establishment of a forest restoration monetary incentive fund that will explore innovative financial benefits to individuals, organizations, and enterprises whose activities will have concrete and measurable impact in the restoration of degraded forest areas.
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