8,000 people join run to plant trees

It was an exhilarating morning for 23-year- old runner Ernie Arabello.

Arabello was among the participants who joined a fun run yesterday.

He said that it was the first time he joined a run that includes planting trees.

“ It’s a different experience, I’m doing something not just for myself but also for the environment,” Arabello said as he watered a Cebu Cinnamon tree which he has just planted.

The Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines, a reforestation program initiated by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI), attracted around 8,000 runners and tree planters in barangay Jaclupan, Talisay City yesterday.

The event was also held simultaneously with the launching of the National Greening Program (NGP) in Central Visayas a reforestation project of President Benigno Aquino III and initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) along with other government agencies and local government units.

The participants  planted native and indigenous tree species such as narra and the endemic Cebu cinnamon and various fruit trees within the five-hectare forestland area in barangay Jaclupan, Talisay.

Haidee Emmie Palapar RAFI communications officer, said  they planted more that 15,000 seedlings in the area which is within the 90-hectare Mananga watershed under the Cebu Central Protected Landscape (CCPL).

The tree-planting activity was also held simultaneously throughout the Province of Cebu as local government units were required by the Capitol to plant at least 100,000 native tree species in  56 hectares spread over the 51 towns and cities in Cebu.

DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Maximo Dischoso said they planned to reforest 1,954 hectares of forestland in Cebu with 977,000 seedlings.

The program was attended by Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia, Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, Rep. Eddie Gullas (Cebu 1st district), Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez, the members of the Cebu Provincial board and regional directors of the government offices in Central Visayas.

Gullas said he would issue a resolution to allocate a budget for the purchase and development of native trees on his district.