The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Shangfil Mining & Trading Corporation (SMTC) have signed a five-year partnership to rehabilitate and protect an 82-hectare bamboo plantation in Sta. Cruz, Zambales.

Under a Memorandum of Agreement, SMTC will support replanting, maintenance, and protection efforts in Barangay Guinabon, while the DENR will provide technical assistance, monitoring, and capacity-building programs.

Officials said the project targets an 85-percent seedling survival rate and will include bamboo, native, and fruit-bearing tree species to improve forest cover, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration.

DENR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo said the partnership highlights the importance of government and private sector collaboration in accelerating forest restoration and climate resilience efforts.

The initiative supports the Expanded National Greening Program under Executive Orders 26 and 193, with bamboo positioned as a key resource for environmental sustainability and livelihood development.