Wednesday, July 18, 2007

4ID's greening program plants 37,000 seedlings; vow to plant 1.5-M trees

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (Ben Balce / July 18) - The simultaneous nationwide tree planting activity under the Diamond Greening Program of the Army's 4 th Infantry Division here yesterday held at Makaluesa Watershed and Reforestation area in Sitio Camingawan, Bgy. Patag, Opol, Misamis Oriental.

PGMA Berdeng Pilipinas Program dubbed here by the 4ID as "Puno Para sa Kinabukasan" has been postponed and schedule yesterday. The simultaneous tree planting is supposed to be conducted on June 29, at 9:00 o'clock in the morning at various chosen sites all over the country.

4ID spokesman Major Samuel Sagun said that the activity is in support to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's Greening Philippines Program.

"We planted 37,000 seedlings with 3,700 participants," said Sagun adding this tree planting activity would also compete with the new Guinness record.

Sagun said the planting site and area covers 36.02 hectares of cosmic land resting in Opol, Misamis Oriental.

Sagun said the manpower was provided by the local government units in Opol, the students at the host areas from different high schools and the partner government agencies.

"Macapagal Arroyo's Greening Philippines program described as an ambitious but achievable plan for environmental protection," said Sagun.

Berdeng Pilipinas Tree Planting is a nationwide activity aimed to encourage the civil society to plant trees, whether fruit bearing or not according to Sagun.

The coordinating agencies for the Diamond Greening Program included the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Agrarian Reform, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Education, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Interior and Local Government, the Philippine Information Agency, ABS CBN and the Philippine Army which serves as the chairman.

Meanwhile on his statements, 4ID's commanding general Maj. Gen. Jose T. Barbieto, said they want to project the other side of the Army as environmentalist soldiers by taking the opportunity to showcase our non-traditional activity that would impact on Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's development program of a Green Philippines.

Barbieto said it involved soldiers, students, local and non-government units and other well-meaning organizations to plant a total of 1,500,000 tree seedlings in military camps, school premises and other selected areas.

It is also aimed at generating significant awareness of the Filipino people on the impact of global warming and the importance of protecting the environment and replenishing our forest resources through tree planting according to Barbieto.


Along with this, 4ID will be implementing the "Diamond Greening Program" within its area of responsibility (AOR), i.e., Region 10 in Northern Mindanao except Lanao del Norte and Region 13 in Caraga. Its three (3) brigades, namely: 401st Bde based in Tago, Surigao del Sur , 402nd Bde in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur and 403rd Bde in Malaybalay City to include the 52nd Engineer Construction Bde in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon and all the battalions and attached units under them have each a designated area within their respective AOR's where trees will be planted.

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