In celebration of its 126th foundation year, the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) conducted a tree planting activity on Wednesday.
The command planted 1,000 seedlings, comprising 500 Arabica coffee trees and 500 pine trees that are indigenous to the Province of Benguet.
These trees were planted within the premises of the Academy to help mitigate land erosion, improve soil structure, and stabilize slopes for the safety of PMA personnel, cadets, and nearby communities.
The event was organized by the Office of the Assistant Chief of Academy Staff for Civil Military Operations, MA7, in collaboration with local government partners in Baguio City, particularly the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO)-Baguio and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), according to PMA Public Affairs Office Chief Lieutenant Jesse Nestor Saludo.
“This endeavor is also a strong manifestation of the Academy’s dedication, commitment, and desire to have a carbon-neutral camp, thereby helping create a more sustainable and greener future,” Saludo concluded.
Saludo noted that the Tactical Operations Group 1 of the Philippine Air Force, the AFP’s Civil Relations Group, and the Philippine Army’s 14th Regional Community Defense Group also showed their support for the PMA by participating in the event.
“I want to make a meaningful connection between our work of shaping our future leaders in an ever-dynamic security landscape and the profound act of planting trees. Our future leaders must develop the strength and resilience to navigate and defend in a world full of intricate and ever-changing challenges,” said PMA Acting Superintendent BGen. Jose DeMar Pauly while reading the Superintendent’s message.
“As each of us shovels that soil and plants that tree seedling today, let it be a reminder that the trees we planted represent the leaders we will mold for an ever-changing world. Let us teach them resilience like the trees that have stood the test of time and calamities.”
