Gina Lopez vows to make Liguasan Marsh a bamboo capital

BULUAN, Maguindanao – Environment Secretary Gina Lopez on Wednesday inspected the 280,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh where she launched a project to make the town a bamboo capital.

“From studies they gave me, it has tremendous biodiversity like medicinal plants here and many, many things. It is also very rich in agriculture and tons and tons and tons of freshwater fish. Who knows what else they have here?” Lopez told reporters.

Lopez said her agency will invest in Liguasan economy development along with local leaders.

“We will put money because the government has money,” she added.

The official explained that armed confrontation in the region only happened because the area is not being assisted by the government.

“But the government has money. Over and above the money, we need them to help until the end. They need income,” she said.

Lopez said P21 million will be released to Rajah Buayan town in Maguindanao to start the planting of bamboos on a 1,000-hectare land inside Liguasan Marsh in the next three years.

“We wanted to make our town a bamboo capital in the next six years. There’s money in bamboo,” Rajah Buayan Mayor Zamzamin Ampatuan said.

The Liguasan Marsh is one of the largest wetlands in the Philippines.