844 hectares of public land in Laguna targeted for greening program

Wednesday 11th of July 2012

LOS BAÑOS, Laguna, July 11 (PIA) -- The community environment and natural resources office (CENRO) is scheduled to plant trees in 844 hectares public land in Laguna in line with the National Greening Program (NGP) of President Benigno S. Aquino III.

CENRO Head Emiliano S. Leviste said the tree planting activity commenced last month in time with the onset of the rainy season and will last up to August this year. Several government agencies as well as private manufacturing companies joined the tree planting activities as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).

With assistance from the head office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the following government and private companies spearheaded tree planting activities last June: the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), June 22, Calauan Dumpsite; PAG-IBIG Fund, June 29, Calauan to Nagcarlan Raod; Sagip Eskwela and Bank of the Philippine Island (BPI), June 30, National Housing Authority (NHA) located at Barangay Dayap, Calauan.

The Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI) led a tree planting activity on July 6 at Victoria to Nagcarlan Road while the Sagip Eskuwela and Bal-Asia headed the tree planting activity last July 7 at Calauan Dumpsite.

Other scheduled events are: July 14, Holy Name Society at Nagtalaok Creek, Los Banos; July 21, Laguna State and Polytechnic University-Los Banos (LSPU-LB) at Calauan River and Aboitiz at Calauan to Nagcarlan Road; July 22, Philobioscentia at Calauan Dumpsite; July 27, Laguna College of Business and Arts and City College of Calamba at San Juan Calamba River and July 28, LSPU-LB and Lyceum of the Philippines at Nagtalaok River, Los Baños.

On August 4, 11, & 18, trees will be planted at LSPU-LB at Nagtalaok Creek, Los Baños.

Pres. Benigno S. Aquino III issued Executive Order No. 26 ordering and declaring the implementation of a National Greening Program as a government priority. The program aims to plant 1.5 billion trees covering about 1.5 million hectares by 2016 to mitigate the effects of global warming. (CPG/Grace Bondad-Nicolas, PIA4A)