A group of environment advocates on Monday said it will start the planting of 10-million trees in the country’s most denuded areas as its project for this year’s celebration of Earth Day.
Luntiang Pilipinas convener Michael Ubac said the project is meant to reaffirm the group’s commitment “to invest in the ecological sustainability of future generations.”
Ubac said that the group organized in 1998 by Senator Loren Legarda recently held two major tree-planting activities, one in Masbate City in the Bicol Region and another in the main campus of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
“We planted Narra seedlings in Masbate that would take 100 years to fully mature or keep on growing, outliving most if not all of us,” said Ubac.
“The seedlings symbolize Luntiang Pilipinas’ commitment to pursue legislation that will have a positive impact on the country’s environment and will benefit generations of Filipinos,” he added.
Ubac said that such a program is “doable,” and the group targets to plant and nourish two-million trees in 33 provinces, 28 cities, and 84 towns.
“One of our four pillars that serve as a roadmap for achieving resiliency is a regreening program that involves tree-growing, school-based vegetable gardening/gulayan sa paaralan, and backyard gardening,” said Ubac.
“We should go beyond commemorating Earth Day; caring for the environment is a year-round commitment that requires us to be proactive in our efforts to restore ecological balance in our country—and Luntiang Pilipinas’ program to plant 10-million trees in our country is our contribution to this effort.”
The local celebration of Earth Day 2019 will be held on April 24 and April 28.
Meanwhile, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Roy Cimatu urged the people to think of ways to save the planet.
As the nation joined the rest of the world in observing Earth Day on Monday, he called on the Filipinos to pause and reflect on the most pressing ecological problems facing the world and think of what they can do to save the planet.
“We have an obligation to take care of this planet we all share and Earth Day is a great time to start thinking more about the environment and all the little things we can do to make the world a better place,” he said.
Over one billion people in more than 190 countries are expected to take part in the celebration of the 49th anniversary of Earth Day with a theme “Protect Our Species,” making it the largest civic observance in the world.
According to Cimatu, the protection of the environment is not the sole responsibility of the government because the general public, too, must also do their part.
“Being more environmentally conscious is the right thing to do. Living a more eco-friendly lifestyle could help create a sustainable planet and mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming,” he said.
The local celebration of Earth Day 2019 will be held on April 24 and April 28.