Mulanay cleans coasts, plants trees in honor of Aquino, Quezon

Lucena City, Quezon, Philippines—More than 5,000 residents of Quezon’s coastal town of Mulanay, 272 kilometers southeast of Manila, on Friday and Saturday commemorated the 133rd birthday of the late President Manuel Quezon and the assassination of modern Filipino hero Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. by joining hands to protect Mother Earth.

“Remembering them through a community activity to protect Mother Earth is a fitting tribute to their heroism and their love for the country,” Mulanay Mayor Joselito Ojeda said by phone on Sunday.

The nation celebrated Quezon’s 133rd birthday anniversary on Friday and Ninoy’s death anniversary on Sunday. Ninoy was gunned down at the tarmac of the Manila International Airport on Aug 21, 1983. His death triggered the people’s revolution that ousted the Marcos dictatorship.

More than 5,000 registered for the event, Ojeda said.

Ramoncito Garcia, a native of Mulanay and former New People’s Army leader in Quezon and Bicol in the late 70s and early 80s, said the efforts of the local government to promote environmental awareness was now bearing fruit.

“The collective community activity is a rare display of true people’s power in defense and protection of the environment,” said Garcia, who now works as community affairs officer on agriculture of the Mulanay municipal government.

The Mulanay folk cleaned 20 kilometers of Tayabas Bay’s coastline of debris and other garbage, an activity that aims to encourage citizens to make cleanliness a habit, Ojeda said.

He said students, out of school youth, employees, teachers, police, military and civic organizations participated in the activity dubbed “Happy BERDE Mulanay: The Museum of Trees–Municipality.”

On Saturday, the participants joined the mass tree planting, of mostly pili tree (Canarium ovatum Engl.) seedlings, along the 21-km stretch of the Bondoc Peninsula Highway that is under the jurisdiction of the town.

Ojeda said the tree planting was their declaration of support to the National Greening Program of President Aquino, and to mark the official launching of Pili as the “town’s heritage tree.”

A legend says Mulanay derived its name from the local term “malunay” which means plenty of “lunay,” referring to “pili wax” abundant in the area and was used by the town’s folk as source of heat and light.

Ojeda said the local government and the Protected Area Management Board are also developing the 284-ha Buenavista Protected Landscape in Sitio Kamhantik in Buenavista village into an “open museum” for different tree varieties.

“Our local tourism office is now going full blast to promote the area as future tourist attraction in the province,” Ojeda said.