More than 200 employees of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas (DSWD-7) planted thousands of seedlings in the mountain barangay of Sudlon 1 in Cebu City as part of the agency’s Moral Recovery Program.
The activity started with a lecture on the national greening program by representatives from Community Environment and Natural Resources Office or Cenro.
The lecture included tips on how to plant and care for the trees and on how to protect and conserve the environment.
DSWD Regional Director Ma. Evelyn Macapobre said the activity helped strengthen values formation and the ethical behavior of the staff towards zero tolerance for corruption.
The values pursued are being pro-God, which encompasses faith in God; pro-people, which includes justice, truth, freedom, equality and peace; good citizenship, which includes respect for the law, the government, patriotism, promotion of the common good and building a just and humane society; and pro-environment, which involves the conservation and development of the country’s patrimony.
Joining the group were the beneficiaries of DSWD’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino conditional cash transfer program.
The beneficiaries, who are living near the vicinity of the tree planting site, helped dig holes for the seedlings. They will also water and monitor the planted trees to ensure growth.
A contract was signed a week before the actual tree planting between the DSWD-7, Cenro and the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya program to ensure sustainability of the project.