KALAMANSIG, Sultan Kudarat — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Kalamansig has conducted a compliance monitoring inspection on the ongoing Tacurong-Kalamansig 69kV Transmission Line Project (TKTLP) of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), which has impacted hundreds of trees in the area.
CENRO Kalamansig reported that numerous growing trees were affected or felled during the implementation of the power line project. So far, around 37,021 board feet of lumber have been turned over to the CENRO for safekeeping, with more expected in the coming weeks.
Under the conditions set by Special Tree Cutting Permits and Private Land Timber Permits, NGCP is required to replace the affected trees by planting 100 seedlings for every naturally grown indigenous tree cut, and 50 seedlings for every planted tree. In total, NGCP is set to plant approximately 57,500 tree seedlings—comprising both agroforestry and indigenous species—as part of its environmental compliance. Each seedling must be at least one meter tall.
The TKTLP is considered a vital infrastructure initiative aimed at enhancing the stability and reliability of electricity supply in Kalamansig and surrounding areas. Once completed, the project is expected to significantly reduce power outages and improve energy availability for local communities.
CENRO Kalamansig stressed the importance of continuous environmental monitoring to minimize ecological disruption and ensure that NGCP adheres to all regulatory and sustainability commitments. The agency reaffirmed its role in enforcing environmental safeguards in infrastructure development, emphasizing that protecting natural resources must go hand-in-hand with economic progress.