8 M seedlings ready for Caraga’s Trees for Life

Butuan City – Timber operators, including holders of tenurial instruments in the Caraga region, have partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in raising more than eight million seedlings for tree-planting activities in the next six months as part of the “Trees for Life” program.

In this city, some 20,000 mahogany, acacia and narra seedlings are ready at the Taguibo watershed in Barangay Tagkiling for the Aug. 24 launch of the massive tree-planting program in Agusan del Norte.

Butuan City Rep. Jose Aquino and Mayor Democrito Plaza II are joining more than 5,000 people from various sectors in the activities, part of President Arroyo’s Green Philippines program.

DENR regional executive director Benjamin Tumaliuan said the provincial environment and natural resources offices (PENROs) of Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte launched their respective tree-planting programs last Aug. 15.

Tumaliuan said the tree-planting program will go on until Nov. 30 across the Caraga region.

Since January, private individuals, holders of various tenurial instruments, timber licensees, and operators of timber processing plants in the city have produced seven million seedlings as their contribution to the program.

For their part, the four PENROs and 13 community environment and natural resources offices (CENROs) have produced more than 1.8 million seedlings.  

More than 50 percent of the seedlings have already been planted across the region since June when the DENR celebrated Environment Month.