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May 16, 2006 |
 COLOMBO, Sri Lanka - The DBP Forest was conferred the Most Outstanding Environmental Development Project Award from the Association of Development Financial Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) on May 9, 2006 during its 29th Annual Meeting held in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The award was accepted by President and CEO Reynaldo G. David.
“This is the fifth time for our Bank to be cited by ADFIAP,” said President David in his acceptance speech. “But we pride ourselves even more on the fact that DBP is being recognized for its initiative as a bank for sustainable development.”
Chosen from a total of 28 ADFIAP finalists, the DBP Forest was particularly recognized for its significant contribution in the protection of coastal areas, conservation of soil and water in the uplands, improvement of spawning grounds for terrestrial and marine aquatic life, as well as its contribution to the development of downstream industries in the countryside.
This pioneering environmental initiative is the Bank’s response to the Government’s call to step up reforestation efforts not only to prevent further loss of lives and property during natural calamities, but also to preserve livelihood and the overall economic strength of the country. As President David declared during the awarding ceremonies, “We have always believed that progress must not take its toll on the environment. Believing that good ecology is good economics, we have always directed our efforts at achieving the best of two worlds – a healthy environment and a progressive economy.”
Launched on April 22, 2005 in Abucay, Bataan, the President recounts, “A year hence, we have already initiated 18 forest projects with a total area of about 4,000 hectares planted to useful plant and tree species. These forest projects also promise better livelihood opportunities for some 2,500 poor families – mostly farmers and fisher folk.”
With seed fund of P50 million from the Kreditanstalt fur Wiederaufbau (KfW) of Germany, the program taps as forest partners state universities and colleges, local government units, and people’s organizations (POs) that have been awarded Community-Based Forest Management (CBFM) agreements.
Under the partnership, the Bank provides initial funding support for the purchase of planting stocks and administrative and maintenance expenses. Partner POs composed of farmers and fishermen in beneficiary communities handle actual planting and cultivation, site preparation and other necessary forest/plantation activities.
Funding for the forest projects is complemented by front-end fees of DBP borrowers with wholesale loans of P10 million and above, or retail loans P20 million and above. This scheme thus makes DBP’s borrowers donor-partners in the Program.
This green strategic alliance has likewise received encouraging support from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Agriculture and Department of Science and Technology, among others.
President David encapsulated the success of the program in one word: partnership. “You may wonder how we’ve managed to accomplish these gains barely a year after program launching. The operative word is partnership.” Further to this, he stated his significant and timely message: “On top of all these gains, nothing can be more rewarding than proving that a focused, concerted action is all it takes to protect Mother Nature.”
Initially envisioned to help regain forest cover in denuded areas, the DBP Forest has evolved into a multi-sectoral vehicle for effecting social change in the host communities, with the integration of environmental efforts into rural development and poverty alleviation thrusts.
The DBP Forest Program manifests the Filipino spirit of bayanihan or communal unity and cooperation in conserving and protecting the environment for future generations.
The ADFIAP Awards recognize and honor member-banks that have undertaken or assisted projects that have created a development impact in their respective countries. Awards are given to members, which in the judgment of the ADFIAP Awards Board, have implemented or enhanced outstanding and innovative development projects during the immediate past year. |
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