2 schools in Tuburan, recipients of native tree nurseries

By Hazel F. Gloria

Friday 1st of June 2012

CEBU CITY, June 1 (PIA) -- Two elementary schools in Tuburan, Cebu are recipients of the native tree nurseries set up by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) and a group of volunteers during the School Community Brigade on April 21.

The two participating schools were Bagasawe Elementary School and Tominjao Elementary School. These schools are beneficiaries of the Foundation's School Rehabilitation Program.

The Foundation will provide technical assistance to elementary schools of Bagasawe and Tominjao through training and coaching or mentoring for the maintenance of the indigenous tree nurseries.

The School Community Brigade in Tuburan mobilized parents, barangay captains of Tominjao and Bagasawe, and volunteers from the Department of Education (DepEd) of Tuburan, the local government unit of Tuburan, 78th Infantry Battalion, RAFI, parents-teachers association officers, youth from Barangay Luz, and mothers belonging to the RAFI Micro-finance Tuburan Branch.

The volunteers helped in the school clean-up, repainting, minor repairs, construction of the native tree nursery, and potting of seedlings for the nursery.

“The native tree nursery will help us a lot for we can sell the plants and generate income to provide for the needs of the school," said Nathaniel Talaugon, school principal of Tominjao Elementary School.

"It’s not yet late to plant trees. We still have a lot of time to save Mother Earth in our own simple way,” Rowena Bandola-Alensonorin, executive director of RAFI Integrated Development, said.

The native tree nursery is under the GREENIN Philippines Program (Generation REdemption and Expansion of Natural resources INitiatives in the Philippines Program) of RAFI's Integrated Development focus area. Other focus areas are Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture & Heritage, Leadership & Citizenship, and Education.

For more Information about RAFI's native tree nurseries, please contact Max Palen at 418-72374 local 518, or visit www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com.ph/rafi.org.ph.(rmn-PIA 7/HFG/RAFI)