SHS-AdC, RAFI implement Blue Tree Project

CEBU, Philippines - To move its Blue Tree Project forward, the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo De Cebu (SHS-AdC) recently propagated 6,500 native tree seedlings in the native trees nursery established inside the school campus.

This activity was initiated in partnership with the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) through the Foundation’s Generation REdemption and Expansion of Natural resources INitiatives in the Philippines (GREENIN Philippines) Program.

“The plan is to propagate 15,000 native tree seedlings inside SHS-AdC. This number will be enough for the tree-growing activities that the school intends to conduct in areas where we do our outreach projects. We also take into consideration our capacity and resources to produce native tree seedlings,” Fr. Sigmund de Guzman, SHS-AdC campus ministry director, said.

As one of its contributions to the Blue Tree Project, RAFI’s GREENIN Philippines Team conducts orientation for the students every Saturday. Students were taught basic steps in propagating native tree seedlings. They learned mixing soil medium, potting, and transplanting. Together, the students were able to produce 6,500 seedlings.

SHS-AdC high school students also took turns visiting the Gawad Kalinga (GK) village in Barangay Budlaan, Cebu City where they brought native tree seedlings and planted them in the periphery of the GK village that is located near a river.

SHS-AdC is a GK partner in restoring the dignity of the poor particularly in Budlaan.

The tree-growing activities are done through resource complementation. The GK villagers prepare the holes while SHS-AdC provides the human resources to properly plant the seedlings. RAFI and AboitizLand provide native tree seedlings. While the GK villagers take care of the seedlings, RAFI monitors their survival to ensure their growth to become vibrant forests.

Some 500 native tree seedlings have already been planted in the GK village in Budlaan.

“As soon as the seedlings propagated by the students themselves reach plantable size, SHS-AdC would be able to reach out to more areas where reforestation is necessary,” Neil Papas, GREENIN Philippines program coordinator, said.

The Blue Tree Project is the SHS-AdC’s “green” investment for the environment’s future. It is designed as a “sustainable urban tree planting and plant care initiative geared towards maintaining urban landscapes’ overall health and appearance”.

SHS-AdC linked with the GREENIN Philippines Program of RAFI. A native tree nursery is established in the school campus, which becomes a satellite nursery of the RAFI Native Trees Nursery.

GREENIN Philippines Program is a program under the Integrated Development focus area of RAFI, addressing the foundations needed to develop successful communities. Its other focus areas include Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture & Heritage, Leadership & Citizenship, and Education.

For more information on the Blue Tree Project, please contact Fr. De Guzman at 345-4378. For more information on the GREENIN Philippines program, please contact Neil Papas at 418-7234, or visit www.rafi.org.ph. (FREEMAN)