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The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and aDryada, a developer of investment-grade natural infrastructure assets, have entered into a partnership to implement the Green Samar Project, a forest restoration program that seeks to rehabilitate 120,000 hectares of degraded rainforest in the Samar Island Natural Park.
The project aims to strengthen conservation efforts in one of the country’s most ecologically significant areas while creating opportunities for local communities to benefit from sustainable environmental initiatives.
Spanning 335,000 hectares, the Samar Island Natural Park is the largest terrestrial protected area in the Philippines and serves as a vital refuge for diverse wildlife, including the critically endangered Philippine Eagle. The park is also being considered for inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Once underway, the project is expected to become the first large-scale ecosystem restoration and carbon project to be carried out within a protected area under the Philippines’ current regulatory framework, setting a precedent for future conservation initiatives nationwide.
The memorandum of agreement between the DENR and aDryada, which has an initial term of 25 years, targets the park’s restoration through a combination of direct planting of native tree species, assisted natural regeneration, and enrichment planting.
Beyond rainforest restoration, the Green Samar Project includes three key components aimed at ensuring long-term environmental and social benefits.
- Immediate and long-term support for the local population living in the park, notably through job creation (800 to 1000 during the first 7 years), the construction of social infrastructure, the improvement of agriculture practices to increase yield, and a long-term benefit-sharing mechanism. It is estimated that it will improve the living conditions of more than 20,000 people
- Immediate and substantial strengthening of the Park’s protection and surveillance capacities, both in terms of human resources (including an increase in the ranger capacity) and equipment)
- A Permanent Protection Mechanism, capitalized by carbon credit revenues, to finance conservation measures beyond the project’s crediting period. Consistent with aDryada’s investment-grade approach to natural infrastructure, the Green Samar Project has been designed to meet the requirements of long-term institutional capital
The Green Samar Project is being implemented in partnership with local firm Samar Bamboo Corporation and a group of international technical partners, including Terraformation, ERM, and Conserve Int.
The collaboration brings together expertise in carbon project development, environmental and social management, conservation, protection strategies, and sustainable land-use planning to support the project’s long-term restoration and community development goals.
“The Green Samar Project demonstrates how the Philippines can align environmental protection, community development, and private investment to achieve lasting impact at scale,” DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said.
“Our priority is to continue strengthening the regulatory frameworks that enable high-integrity projects, meaning projects that deliver tangible benefits to local communities while providing the clarity, stability, and transparency required by long-term international investors,” he added.
Environment Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo said that through “strong oversight, clear governance arrangements, and close collaboration between public and private stakeholders, this project establishes
a solid foundation for achieving durable conservation outcomes while delivering tangible social and economic benefits.”
aDryada CEO, Fabio Ferrari, said the firm’s investment-grade approach to the project sees nature as an “important infrastructure and deserves to be managed with the same discipline and long-term perspective.”
“We are proud to be part of a project that reflects the aspirations of our communities and the extraordinary natural heritage of our island,” added Benjie Picardo, CEO of Samar Bamboo Corporation. —LDF, GMA News
