Walk to Plant (preferably in small group)

CEBU, Philippines - We woke up to a fine day on June 30 for the Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines last June 30, capping Environment Month.

As early as 4:30 a.m., an estimated 5,000 people have already walked themselves up six kilometers from the entrance of Vista Grande Subdivision in Talisay City. The crowd was a mix of young and elderly, students and professionals, nice and nasty.

Earlier, I thought I would be the last person to reach finish line because I did not have the intention to run. The last time I was up there was October of last year for my birthday tree planting activity, so I promised myself I would savor every moment of that early morning walk to appreciate my peace, feel the breeze, admire the sunburst, praise the sun, drink in the greens.

It seemed that the universe always has its way of conspiring with my weaknesses. Throngs walked too. Not in brisk manner, but in a relaxed pace which was very, very good because we really enjoyed every second of it. So we tagged the event more of a "Walk to Plant."

At the entrance to the planting site, we were each given two saplings of indigenous trees - the plastic marked with a blue paint. Color coding brought us to a steep side of the site, about an hour’s walk because of the human traffic.

Since it was a very nice day, and our hearts were bursting with pride to be walking our green talk, we queued along with others who did so before us. The cogon grass was pregnant with dew, the mist still covered parts of the mountain across - as if shrouding the MCWD weir, so I was kind of just "jamming" to the excitement embracing every participant eager to plant.

Suddenly the complaints poured in. Some designated to the blue team could not wait anymore. They thought the site was too far away and that they were walking something like forever. About eleven men assigned to the yellow group inserted in the long queue to Nowhereville in the hope they would arrive there quick as lightning. As we got nearer and closer to our assigned site, we saw how saplings outnumbered dug holes. For the lack of bored earth, some would-be planters left the saplings scattered in our way. The nasties!

I'm thankful though I had planted about 40 saplings up there with a small group last year. It made me cherish all the more that moment when my friends were willing to stay for a day to plant more than that. It's more sensible than being in a big group dying to achieve more, but being rained on by all those grumbling and swearing ones! The nasties!

By the way, the event was held simultaneously in 51 municipalities and component cities, including Cebu City, making the event a province-wide endeavor.

According to Ms. Rowena Bandola-Alensonorin, executive director for RAFI Integrated Development, official count of confirmation slips points to an estimated 15,000 participants this year to the central event.

"Seventy percent of the seedlings were planted given the steep terrain of the planting site. Red Isabelo Montejo of the DENR and Councilor Bernard Odilao (Talisay City) will be fielding in workers to plant the remaining seedlings so as to achieve the 100 percent target of seedlings to be planted," Alensonorin informed via text message.

"Commitments were also made by mountaineering groups to conduct sweeping activities in the planting site," the message read on.

***

The central event targeted 7,500 participants, surpassing the 5,000 target last year. It was held on an eight-hectare forestland in Jaclupan, Talisay City. The area was planted with 20,000 native tree seedlings and will be developed into a forest model through a co-management agreement among the DENR, the governments of the Cebu Province and Talisay City, and RAFI.

This year's Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines targeted to plant 220,000, doubling last year's target of 100,000 native tree seedlings all over Cebu Province.

The event had two segments - the run, which included a three-kilometer run to the planting site, and the planting, which required each participant to plant two native tree seedlings. "It promotes a healthy lifestyle by running and environment conservation by planting native tree species that will become vibrant forests in the next few years," a statement read.

Registration was for free. While drinking stations were provided, runners brought their own water bottles for there were no plastic cups to avoid litter.

Run 2 Plant is an annual event held every last Saturday of June. Last year, it went beyond its targeted number of participants and seedlings planted. It enabled the 48 towns and component cities of Cebu Province to gather 55,372 participants to plant 239,580 native trees in 115 hectares. Seedlings planted maintain an average survival rate of 89 percent.

This event is in line with the national government's National Greening Program and tied to the DILG's Billion Trees Program.

Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines, one of the components of GREENIN Philippines program, provides a venue for every Filipino to contribute in rehabilitating and protecting our environment with the goal of bringing back the country's forest cover.

GREENIN stands for Generation Redemption and Expansion of Natural resources Initiatives. It is one of the programs under RAFI's Integrated Development focus area that aims to replicate best practices in environmental protection, conservation, and rehabilitation to more places in the country for a greener Philippines. (FREEMAN)