Basilan To Plant More Trees: Gov. Akbar

A man works on a rubber factory in Basilan island in the southern Philippines. (Zamboanga Journal)

BASILAN ISLAND (Chris Puno / 19 Jun) In his continuing effort to alleviate the plight of the poor, Basilan Governor Wahab M. Akbar announced Monday that he made good representation in the national government, particularly the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as well as the Department of Agrarian Reform, for a massive rubber tree planting program to some 50 thousand hectares of land in various agrarian reform communities on the island, south of Zamboanga City.

Akbar said the program would support President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s plan to plant more trees across the country.

“This program will be the perfect solution for the province’s initiative to make Basilan as one of the top rubber producing provinces in the country, and will eventually bring food to the table of every ordinary farmer here,” Akbar said.

“We will be also putting up a large nursery for jethropa trees and will be made available locally in large quantities for the production of bio-diesel so that in the near future, Basilan will be energy efficient through the use of bio-diesel, as well as an exporter of the said product,” he said.

Last month, Basilan was a host to some prospective investors from mainland China who showed the governor bullish initiative for the upgrading, investment and technology transfer of the rubber industry in Basilan.

The governor has personally established his ties with the Chinese investors to keep the province in constant relations with the investors who were impressed with the quality of rubber that Basilan can produce.

Akbar is hopeful that the new development will spur Basilan as one of the most progressive provinces in the country, as well as extract Basilan from the top 20 most depressed provinces in the country.