CABARROGUIS, Quirino (PIA) – – The provincial government of Quirino and Arkadiah Technology PTE. LTD., a Singaporean company, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the conservation and protection of natural resources and the restoration of critical landscapes in the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
Arkadiah is a nature tech company that revives degraded lands through AI-enabled nature restoration. It addresses Southeast Asia’s rich biodiversity, using AI to fuse LiDAR and remote sensing to bring transparency to nature restoration.
In his message, Gov. Dax Cua said Quirino is an environmental jewel of the Philippines and the headwaters not only of the Cagayan River but also down to Casecnan, which irrigates Central Luzon—the food basket of the entire Philippines.
“We are responsible for so much food because of our resources of water and forestry biodiversity that have been entrusted to the people of Quirino. It is our responsibility to make sure that it will become sustainable not only for our generation but for the future,” Cua said.
Cua said that though Quirino is not yet an industrialized province, it has the opportunity to finance environmental protection projects with the assistance of those industrialized ones by investing in carbon to offset the damage to the environment.
“With this signing of the MOU, we employ the technology of Arkadiah using Lidar, the most advanced technology, I believe, that is available today. We also employ Singaporean technology and expertise through the FTZ, and of course, our local talents through our environment and natural resources offices that will make this happen,” Cua further said.
For his part, Reuben Lai, chief executive officer of Arkadiah, said their partnership with Quirino Province is redefining nature-based carbon solutions by integrating artificial intelligence with ecological restoration.
This will achieve critical outcomes such as building on the National Greening Program, revitalizing biodiversity, and improving local livelihoods through generating verifiable carbon credits.
“Today we are making the signing not just a regular conservation project, but a generational project. We will all embark on building a greater Quirino for the next generation and a greater planet for our dearest children,” he said.
Likening Quirino to Noah’s ark, Lai said the province is an ancient jewel and the ark that protected the world and humanity during great floods.
Lai explained that their company, Arkadiah, also aims to be a protector of humanity and preserve resources across the world, stressing that Quirino and the Ark of Arkadiah come together in partnership for the next generation in the Philippines.
Under the MOU, Arkadiah Technology PTE. LTD., FTZ Solutions, Inc., and the provincial government will implement a collaborative project aimed at contributing to climate change mitigation efforts.
It was stated in the MOU that the provincial government will identify suitable lands for carbon project development and provide the necessary approvals and permits for land use and carbon project development. (TB/TCB/PIA Quirino)
