LTFRB tells transpo operators: Plant trees before acquiring franchise

MANILA, Philippines — The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has mandated applicants of franchise to plant trees in a bid to boost the government’s reforestation program.

In a statement, the LTFRB said the mandatory tree planting for public transportation operators starts on December 1.

Under its memorandum issued last Nov. 20, the agency revealed the following rules for tree planting:

1. Those applying for a certificate of public convenience with at least 10 units. LTFRB said one unit is equivalent to one tree.
2. Those applying for extension of CPC validity must plant trees. Every unit is also equivalent to one tree.

LTFRB said transportation operators should coordinate with local government units as well as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for their tree planting activity.

LTFRB, which aims to plant 50,000 trees, said the mandatory tree planting came after most of Luzon areas were battered by Typhoon Rolly and Typhoon Ulysses.

It was LTFRB Region II Director Edward Cabase who recommended the idea. In Region II or Cagayan Valley, Cagayan and Isabela were submerged by massive floods brought by the impacts of Typhoon Ulysses.

Climate crisis

In a previous report, the Ecological Threats Register (ETR) revealed that more than a billion people will be displaced from their houses in the next 30 years due to the climate crisis.

At least 60 percent of the countries in the report would face flooding threats because of rising sea levels and temperatures.

In the report, the Philippines, under the medium-risk group of the ETR, will face at least three ecological threats in the coming years.

CFC