By Pamela Mariz Geminiano/PNA
BAGUIO CITY — Government-owned John Hay Management Corporation (JHMC) has linked up with the major universities here for environmental research to protect and preserve the forest inside the camp, an official said Monday
“The exposure that the students will gain from the collaboration will strengthen their awareness [in environmental protection and preservation],” JHMC vice president Jane Theresa Tabalingcos said in a phone interview.
The JHMC has partnered with Saint Louis University (SLU), University of the Cordilleras (UC), University of Baguio (UB), Benguet State University (BSU), and University of the Philippines (UP) – Baguio.
Baguio has 1,572.48 hectares of remaining forest land cover and 53 percent is located inside John Hay.
Tabalingcos said the collaboration started from a suggestion by a researcher from Harvard University who told them to build good relationship with the different universities.
She said the talks for collaboration started in 2017, threshing out the possible assistance of JHMC to the universities doing the research. It was completed in the latter part of 2018.
Tabalingcos said part of JHMC’s forest protection include the placing and maintaining of fire-lines, gathering abandoned forest wood wastes, trimming of pine stands, and assisted natural regeneration.
The JHMC also has an “adopt-a-tree” project where “adopters” pay PHP5,000, which will be used to preserve the trees and the watershed.
The tree is named after the person who adopted it and can regularly visit to care for it.
