SANTA ROSA, Neva Ecija –– Before couples get married, the city government will ask them to donate tree seedlings as part of a local environmental initiative.
The move was contained in an executive order that Mayor Josefino Angeles issued recently, citing the destruction of forests that “resulted in the loss of biodiversity, erratic climate change, strong typhoons, flood, and siltation of rivers.”
Under the order, a couple undergoing counseling as a requirement for marriage will be encouraged to donate a tree seedling each.
The seedling shall be received by the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office in collaboration with the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), which will identify the planting site.
Angeles also cited the constitutional obligation of the State “to protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology…”
It also referred to Republic Act 10176 known as the Arbor Day Act of 2012, mandating all provinces, cities, and municipalities to observe Arbor Day by planting trees at public and private (with the permission of the owner) lots.