Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. has signed a landmark tripartite agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the provincial government of Rizal for the rehabilitation and sustainable management of the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL). The deal, which was formalized last Thursday, aims to rehabilitate and conserve 4,000 hectares of degraded land within the critical watershed area.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed by Enrique Razon Jr., chairman of Prime Infra, DENR secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, and Rizal governor Nina Ricci Ynares, further building upon an initial memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed earlier in February 2023.
Under the terms of the MOA, the parties have committed to a comprehensive program focused on afforestation, reforestation, and revegetation, with an emphasis on integrating sustainable livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation. The initiative also seeks to generate verified nature-based credits, creating a model that aligns environmental stewardship with economic opportunities for local communities.
“With this agreement, we aim to rehabilitate an initial 4,000 hectares of degraded land within the Upper Marikina protected area, combining science-based approaches with community-centered efforts,” said Loyzaga. “By generating nature-based credits, we are creating a model that aligns environmental conservation with economic opportunities benefiting both local communities and the broader economic landscape.”
Prime Infra, known for its focus on sustainability-driven projects, will ensure that the rehabilitation activities complement the National Greening Program and contribute to the country’s broader climate adaptation and mitigation goals. The company is also active in Rizal, hosting major infrastructure projects, including the Wawa bulk water supply and Wawa pumped storage power projects.
Razon, in a statement, highlighted that the agreement not only establishes a model for environmental conservation but also sets a “blueprint for future projects that will drive meaningful change to restore ecosystems and enhance climate resilience.”
Prime Infra’s involvement in the UMRBPL is part of its broader strategy to invest in projects that address the most urgent sustainability challenges, including clean energy, water access, and waste management.
