COTABATO CITY, Philippines --- Local officials and public school pupils, mostly ethnic Yakans, planted on Thursday more than 2,000 mahogany seedlings in open fields in two barangays in Lamitan City.
The activity, led by Lamitan City Mayor Rose Furigay, was part of the city government’s environment protection goals and the observance by the local communities of November 2013 as the National Environmental Awareness Month.
Furigay, along with barangay leaders and hundreds of pupils from elementary schools in Barangays Bulingan and Bohe Yakan, planted the mahogany seedlings in areas that are also vulnerable to floods.
Furigay, in an emailed statement, also thanked the police and military units in Lamitan City, the capital of Basilan, for helping put up the tree-planting activity in the two barangays.
The mayor said the office of the city agriculturist provided them enough mahogany seedlings for the project.
The activity also involved members of the city council, led by Vice Mayor Roderick Furigay, and representatives of local media organizations, among them Richard Falcatan, a reporter of the Radio Mindanao Network covering the island province of Basilan.
Local officials will continue planting more mahogany seedlings in selected areas in Lamitan City until Saturday, the mayor said.