BAGUIO CITY – The city government is targeting to plant 10,000 pine seedlings from June 25 to September this year in celebration of the Pine Tree Festival and as part of its re-greening program.
Rhenan Diwas, chief of the City Environment and Parks Management Office, on Monday said that while the program was put on hold because of the pandemic, thousands of tree seedlings have been propagated to be planted throughout the tree festival season.
The event coincides with Arbor Day in the Philippines, celebrated every June 25 by planting trees. The tree festival is extended until September when the city celebrates its charter anniversary.
“The essence of celebrating the Tree Festival Season is for us to participate in the re-greening of our city thus we call individuals, families, groups, organizations, and others to join us in our tree planting activities,” Diwas said.
Families, groups, and organizations interested to join the tree planting are urged to register.
Aside from the city’s tree-planting activities, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Cordillera Administrative Region (DENR-CAR) has also launched the Community Plant Tree program to drum up the celebration of environment month.
Ralph Pablo, regional director of DENR-CAR said they are giving free pine and other tree seedlings to barangays with free spaces and to individuals who want to grow them.
The Cordillera Region logged a 99 percent accomplishment rate in the implementation of the Enhanced National Greening Program.Benjamin Ventura, assistant executive director for technical services of the DENR-CAR said the region has planted 122,618 hectares region-wide compared to its target of 122,631 hectares from 2011 to 2021. (PNA)