Children do their part to restore Cebu’s forest cover by planting tree seedlings in San Fernando town.
(Contributed photo)
Some 7,000 seedlings were planted during the Run 2 Plant last September 9 in Barangay Greenhills, San Fernando town, southern Cebu.
Around 1,500 employees of the municipality of San Fernando and Cebu Provincial Capitol, private companies’ workers, barangay officials, church parishioners, Department of
Education personnel and other interested individuals joined the annual activity.
The local government of San Fernando promised to ensure that all 7,000 seedlings planted would grow into mature trees.
To achieve this, students from the public elementary and high schools in Barangay Greenhills and neighboring Barangay Sangat were tapped to nurture 10 trees each for the next three years.
This is in compliance with Presidential Decree 1153, which requires the Department of Education to have each student plant 10 seedlings.
San Fernando Mayor Lakambini Reluya vowed to monitor the trees for the next three to five years.
Run 2 Plant is an annual environmental advocacy of the Cebu Provincial government and Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.
An estimated seven hectares of land were planted with fruit-bearing trees like guyabano, cacao and jackfruit.
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office head Alona Villarojo said the provincial government provided the seedlings.
To encourage lot owners to monitor and take care of the trees, the local government of San Fernando agreed to their request that what would be planted in their lots were fruit-bearing trees.