On Tuesday, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. emphasized the necessity for environmental protection in order to support economic growth and stability, urging people to care for Mother Earth.
The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) said in a statement on Tuesday that he made this comment during a nationwide simultaneous tree-planting event in honor of his 65th birthday.
“Itong ating ginagawa nitong araw na ito ay isa sa mga hakbang na maaari nating gawin upang tulungan at patibayin ang ating kalikasan. Alagaan ang ating kalikasan para ay tayo naman ay mayroon tayong ipamamana sa mga anak natin sa mga susunod sa atin na mga Pilipino,” Marcos was quoted as saying during the National Simultaneous Bamboo and Tree Planting and Kickoff Ceremony at the Old San Mateo Sanitary Landfill in Rizal province.
He emphasized that the nationwide exercise is straightforward but has a significant impact. “We have to do this as a concrete step that we take so that nature is cared for because it desperately needs that care and it desperately needs that attention,” he said.
The President said he chose to lead the tree-planting ceremony on his birthday in order to spread awareness of environmental protection, which he underlined is a crucial national and international concern in the modern era.
He extended his appreciation to the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture, and numerous civil society non-government organizations for their cooperation in making the event possible.
“This initiative will greatly help in raising awareness on environmental welfare and protection. Let me also thank na nandito ngayon upang tumulong dito sa event na ito upang maipakita natin sa taong-bayan na tayo naman ay lagi nating iniisip ang ating kalikasan hindi lamang sa iba’t ibang lugar kung hindi sa buong Pilipinas,” Marcos noted.
In addition, it will support the DENR’s National Greening Program, the largest reforestation initiative in the country, which aims to reduce poverty, ensure food security, environmental stability, conserve biodiversity, and both mitigate and adapt to climate change.
According to him, more than two million hectares of reforestation areas were established by the initiative between 2011 and 2021. This year, 46,265 more hectares will be developed, and the DENR plans to enhance 11,631 hectares of program sites by 2023.
The seedlings that were planted on Tuesday would be important in achieving the government’s goal of reforestation because the program creates jobs, opportunities, and a means of livelihood for common Filipinos, Marcos stressed.
The country is essentially and principally investing in ensuring that the planet stays a safe space, especially for the next generation that will inherit it, he highlighted, over and above the economic value of the activity.
As the government transforms an old sanitary dump into a reforestation area that benefits the environment and the local people, the President also said he finds some symbolism in the tree-planting activities.
In a sense, the symbolism is extended since, as he said, “ang ating ginagawa ngayon ay – sa nangyari sa pandemya, sa marami, sa daming problemang na hinaharap ng ekonomiya ng Pilipinas ay parang ito ngayon ay natulog na at hindi na magamit.”
“Ngayon po, itong ganitong gagawin din natin sa ekonomiya, mula sa natutulog at hindi nagagamit na iba’t ibang bagay ay bubuhayin natin ulit. Kagaya ng pagbubuhay natin sa ating mga itatanim na mga puno ngayong araw na ito.”
Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin D. Abalos Jr. and Environment Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, according to the OPS, were also present.
Photo Credit: Office of the Press Secretary website