Caritas Capiz Director Rev. Fr. Mark Granflor emphasized that the project not only aims to combat environmental challenges but also seeks to empower the local communities.

Caritas Capiz has tapped and trained 25 families as the project's community partners. 

Punong Barangay Ruel Denosta said that aside from the bamboo forest project, CASAC is also helping community partners' children through the conduct of various review sessions which helped improve the children's school performance. 

“It is a huge help for us because not everyone in our community has a stable job and income,” Denosta shared.

“We also conducted the inventory of the existing natural bamboo plantation in the private area of the province with a total area of 700 hectares,” Sardina noted.

DENR will also give technical assistance to the farmers by teaching them how to grow and nurture the bamboo seedlings. 

Sardina stressed that the project will be a big boost to the development of the bamboo industry in the province because of the Caritas and funding support by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Gerry Roxas Foundation.

Caritas Philippines said that the initiative will serve as a guiding light for environmental stewardship as well as community resilience and will set an example for other regions facing similar challenges. (AGP/PLF/PIA Capiz)