Philippines-South Korea project to put up P450-M training center

A Philippine-South Korean cooperation project will put up a P450-million training center in Banban, Ayungon. 

The 150-bed center will serve as training center for Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Ayungon is also the site of the newly inaugurated modern mechanized plant nursery.

Personnel from the Forest Management Bureau (FMB) of DENR Negros Island Region (NIR) and representatives from the Korean government conducted a site visit to assess and evaluate the nursery project.

According to Negros Oriental Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Charlie Fabre , the Korean visitors were happy and impressed with what they saw and immediately gave the go-signal to prepare the project proposal with an initial funding of $5 million, but was raised to $9.5 million (P450 million).

The proposed training center will be built at the nursery site overlooking the facilities to start in January 2018 with a three-year term to finish it.

Part of the training will be learning about our endemic species and make a study on the possible cloning of dipterocarp or tall forest trees.

Instructors from the Asean members who are experts on reforestation will also conduct training on advance firefighting techniques, production of fruit trees and other forestry related activities.

Fabre said the project will not only benefit the farmers, but the whole NIR as well in terms of tourist influx, employment, and livelihood.

The Philippines was recently chosen by the Korean government as the latest recipient to put up a training center.

Fabre added that aside from the influx of tourists, employment and livelihood, the project will also give farmers the opportunity to learn and study about the forest in Laos and Korea, or in any other training centers in the Asean.