ILOILO City – Around 4,000 Ilonggo youngsters joined a tree planting and clean-up on July 14 at Carpenter’s Bridge; Esplanades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 9; Dungon Creek; Lapuz Creek; Batiano River; and Jaro River.
Another round of tree planting and cleanup will be conducted this August and would involve 6,000 residents of various barangays in the city.
According to Regional Executive Director Livino Duran of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 6, they have prepared some 3,600 seedlings of native trees for the tree planting.
“Anytime kinahanglanon sang syudad, we can provide. This is aside from iya sang city government,” Duran said.
He thanked Cong. Julienne Baronda for initiating the tree planting and clean-up and enrolling the participants to the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
“This will be a continuing activity to make Iloilo greener, a green urban city,” said Duran.
The DENR-DOLE Tupad-GUGMA Youth Tree Planting and Clean-up Program supports the greening efforts of the city government, according Baronda.
Baronda, along with Environment undersecretary Juan Miguel Cuna who represented Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo Loyzaga, led the kickoff program and ceremonial tree planting at Esplanade 4 in City Proper on July 14.
Loyzaga lauded the Iloilo youth for environment-friendly initiatives.
“We hope this shall create a ripple effect and empower communities to take a stand and join us in this advocacy,” she added./PN
