Camarines Sur to Plant 500k Trees

PILI, Camarines Sur, Feb.4 2011 (PIA) ---- The local government of Camarines Sur, in line with President Benigno Aquino’s directive to promote the sustainable use of our natural resources is all geared up for the launching of El Verde Movement scheduled to take place before the end of this month.

Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymund Villafuerte is envisioning a greener province by spearheading an extensive planting of 500,000 or half million trees in various part of the provinces come February 23. The activity will cover 1,036 barangays which comprises the 35 municipalities in the province, including the cities of Naga and Iriga.

El Verde Movement aims not just to protect our ecosystem but also to attain food security for its inhabitants. For the past years, the local government has been embarking on various efforts to alleviate poverty, specifically along the coastal areas, where most of the families are living way below the poverty threshold.

The local government is also encouraging other stakeholders to join their environmental campaign until they reach the goal of planting 12 million trees before the end of 2012.

The simultaneous tree planting is expected to mobilize nearly ten (10) million constituents together with members and officers of various government agencies and representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Governor Villafuerte is also encouraging families, individuals and members of the private sectors to join the said project.

Interested companies or establishments can also sign up as corporate sponsors. In exchange, they will be allotted with a planting area which will be named after their company or organization.

The local government is also offering an incentive to families who can introduce the best planting method. Once chosen, they will receive food packs from the province. School subsidy will also be given to the children of lucky recipients.

Aside from this, all participating families will be automatically enlisted as PhilHealth beneficiaries under the agency’s Indigency Program. In exchange, they will be obliged to take good care of the trees and make certain that the tree will live and grow. (PIA Camarines Sur)