As part of its policy advocacy on sustainable forest management, the Forestry Development Center (FDC) provided technical assistance during the first audit of the Lumino Energy Plantations, Inc. (LEPI) at Bislig and Lingig, Surigao del Sur on August 3-6, 2022.

The audit is part of the evaluation process for LEPI’s application for Forest Management Certification, to be granted by the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC). The Sustainable Forest Management Plan developed by the FDC is one of the requirements for the certification.

The SCS Global Services, an FSC- accredited certification body audited LEPI’s management system of the Bislig Biomass Tree Plantation Project. This consists of document review, field inspection, and stakeholder consultation. This ensures that LEPI complied with the FSC Principles and Criteria of Sustainable Forest Management.

LEPI aims to practice sustainable management of the plantation with the Manobo and Mandaya, the Indigenous Peoples Rights Holder-Beneficiaries of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) 070 through a memorandum of agreement.

Depending on the results of the audit, Bislig Biomass Tree Plantation Project will be the first to have FSC certification for sustainable forest management in the Philippines. FDC will continue to assist LEPI in their aim as forest certification is one of the advocacies of FDC towards the goal of sustainable forest management.

The FDC staff present during the audit were Dr. Priscila C. Dolom, For. Noel L. Tolentino, and For. Jean C. Nicmic. Another partner of LEPI is the Center for Conservation Innovation Philippines, Inc. (CCIPH).

(Written By: MKMBuot | Info By: PCDolom, JCNicmic, NLTolentino)