Department of Agriculture, National Irrigation Administration to plant 1.5 million trees by 2015

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) are looking to plant some 1.5 million trees in the next three years in various parts of the country in a bid to help solve the problem of global warming.

NIA administrator Antonio Nangel said half a million fruit trees will be planted from Luzon to Mindanao starting June 8, 2012 as part of the nationwide tree planting activity.

“This is our small contribution to mother nature by preserving our forest for generations to come,” he said.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala also urged the public to plant one or more trees in their backyard to help ease global warming.

“Global warming should be everyone’s concern. We should contribute something to slow down its damaging effects to our world, one of which is by planting trees,” he said.

From the 500,000 fruit trees like guava, santol and mango, at least 150,000 will be planted around Pantabangan Dam watershed in Nueva Ecija while the rest will be planted in different dams in the country.

The DA and NIA said another 500,000 fruit trees will be planted in the next three years.

“We live in this planet and (for) our children’s children... we have to take care of it by giving back what mother nature has been giving us for generations. Planting trees is our way of saying thank you to her,” Alcala said.