Albay Observes International Earth Day

LEGAZPI CITY, April 23 -- Hundreds of trees were planted and vast coastal shores lines were cleaned by a big number of people from all walks of life that observed Friday's celebration of International Earth Day, a provincial environment officer said.

Manuel "Nong" Rangaza. Executive Director of the Center for Initiative and Research on Climate Change Adaptation (CIRCA) said the provincial government in coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Armed Forces of the Philippines(AFP), civic organizations, the youth and other people organization jointly initiated and tree planting and clean-up activity in coastal villages of the province.

Rangaza said the activity is in line with the observance of the yearly International Earth Day celebration aimed at advocating the significance of environment protection and conservation which according to environmentalist is now under a dangerous threshold due to climate change phenomena.

Rangaza said hundreds of trees of various species were planted at the famous Cagsawa Ruins, a tourist landmark where remnants of a church belfry stands in a village in Daraga town that was buried by lahar, rocks and other volcanic debris spewed by Mt. Mayon in 1814.

The Philippine Navy (PN) Naval Forces Southern Luzon based here and the Philippine Army (PA)901st Brigade and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have dispatch a battalion of soldiers to undertake a coastal clean-up in four coastal villages in this city.

Soldiers cleared the shorelines of barangays Bonot, Rawis, Bigaa and Arimbay in this city of tons of garbage scattered in the shorelines.

Navy Commodore Joel Babas, NAVFORSOL commander at the send off program said the AFP is persistently pushing its effort s on advocating the preservation of Mother Nature through various environment activities in Bikol.

The environment activity involves, tree planting, clean-up drive in esteros, rivers, creeks and shorelines. (PNA)