ALAMADA, North Cotabato -- Military and local officials here joined hands Tuesday in an activity aimed at providing better environment for future generation.
Maj. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) and Mayor Noemia D. Bartolome of Alamada, North Cotabato led the tree planting activity in the 171-hectare land area in Camp Paulino Santos, Barangay Dado.
Brig. Gen. Manolo Samarita, commander of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade (IB), initiated the activity.
Joining the event was former National Police spokesperson Director Nicanor Bartolome, husband of Alamada town mayor, and local government employees.
Dela Vega says his division and all the units under it are supporting the National Greening Program (NGP) of the government that seeks to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares of land area across the country.
When President Duterte signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Philippines has formally joined the global accord aimed at reducing carbon emissions.
A priority program of the government, the greening project aims to help reduce poverty, promote food security, environmental stability, and biodiversity conservation.
It also enhances climate change mitigation and adaptation. The program is designed to provide alternative livelihood activities for marginalized upland and lowland households. It is also relevant to seedling production, care and maintenance of newly planted trees.
Aside from being a reforestation initiative, the NGP is also seen as a climate change mitigation strategy as it seeks to enhance the country’s forest stock to absorb carbon dioxide, which is largely blamed for global warming.
As part of its contribution in greening the environment, dela Vega said all the officers and men of 6ID were required to plant at least 25 seedlings per year as part of the Army’s commitment to environmental protection advocacy. (PNA)
