‘Jubilee for the Environment’ tree-planting yields 3.5T trees in 10 months

The tree-planting activity in a mined-out area in San Fernando by the Solid Earth Development Corporation. | contributed photo

CEBU CITY, Philippines –An environment-oriented celebration of 500 Years of Christianity resulted in growing more than 3,500 trees in a series of five tree-planting activities that involved 10 organizations in what was once a mined-out area in the uplands of San Fernando.

Solid Earth Development Corp. (SEDC) hosted and provided the seedlings for the series dubbed “500 Legacy Trees and Beyond” at the SEDC-St. Augustine EcoPilgrimage Park in barangay Magsico.

Eight organizations supportive of and associated with the Cebu Archdiocesan Commission on Environmental Concerns (CACEC) came in herds to plant various tree species for 10 months until lately.

These included:

• Catholic Women’s League (CWL)
• Couples for Christ (CFC)
• Daughters of St. Paul
• Expeditive Freight Logistics, Inc. (EFLI)
• Knight-Stewards of the Sea, Inc.
• Rotary Club of Metro Cebu (RCMC)
• San Agustin de Hippo Environmental Stewards (SAHES), SEDC’s ecological livelihood group

Representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau also joined the tree planters as part of their research work.

Members of the Alpha Phi Omega Phils., Inc., Cebu Pink Paddlers Dragonboat Team, and the Ruach Charismatic Community also joined during the kick-off.

During the final planting, SEDC honored the two prime movers of the series for their valuable contribution to the establishment of the eco-park with a Magkono Tree named after their respective nicknames — Murphy Tree and Bajing Tree.

They are Fr. Murphy P. Sarsonas, CACEC chair who once served as parochial vicar of San Agustin de Hippo Parish based in Magsico, and honorary member, Architect Socorro Borromeo Atega, who designed the eco-park landscaping.

The delegations of some 128 participants planted a total of 3,545 trees, according to Mitzie Almira I. Carin, manager of the SEDC human resources and administration division.

The species included Agoho, Almasiga, Bamboo (Kawayan), Caimito, Iron Wood (Magkono), Lanutan, Mabolo, Macopa, Magtalisay, Molave (Tugas), Nangka, Narra, Pomelo and Spanish Cedar, he added.    /rcg

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