Plant trees, will graduate

All graduating high school students of Las Piñas City public schools will be required to plant tree seedlings as pre-requisite for graduation, City Mayor Vergel Aguilar said yesterday.

The requisite is contained in an ordinance pending passage before the City Council and expected to be implemented starting June 2002, according to Vice Mayor Louie Bustamante.

Asking all graduating high school students to plant five tree seedlings each is in line with the "Green Peace" project of the national government which aims to promote ecological balance, encouraging everyone to plant trees in vacant lots to replace the deterioration of forest trees and save the environment.

With more than 10,000 graduating high school students every year more than 50,000 tree seedlings are expected to grow in the city annually.

The seedlings will be provided for free by the Bureau of Plant Industry while the city agriculturist and planning officer will coordinate with school officials as to areas for planting.

"This project will increase environmental awareness of our youth, and at the same time, will help in providing clean air and preventing floods," Aguilar explained.