DAGUPAN CITY—Hug a tree and win a prize.
An official of a group helping protect trees in Pangasinan has launched a contest for the best tree huggers in the province.
Virginia Pasalo, director of Women in Development Foundation and commissioner of Pangasinan Historical and Cultural Commission (PHCC), is searching for three best tree huggers, in a bid to sustain attention on trees marked for cutting to make way for the expansion of Manila North Road (MNR) in Pangasinan.
The contest offers P500 in prizes.
“The prize is not much. It’s just for fun. Causes can be fun, too,” said Pasalo, who launched the campaign on Facebook.
In June, Pasalo and Julia Senga, of the International Visitors’ Leadership Program Philippines, asked a court in Urdaneta City to issue a temporary environmental protection order for the trees along MNR.
They have been trying to prevent the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from cutting trees along the 42-kilometer stretch of the road. The DPWH felled 1,059 of the 1,829 trees marked for cutting to give way to the road’s widening.
The surviving trees have not been touched in the absence of new tree-cutting permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“‘Hug-a-Tree’ is part of the campaign to save as many trees along Manila North Road,” Pasalo said. “Also, it’s a different experience to feel the soul of a tree once you’ve hugged it.”
Participants have until Dec. 24 to post a photo hugging a tree on the PHCC Facebook page. The three photos with the most “likes” win the prizes.
Pasalo said she would also pick 10 best tree slogans and three best tree shirt designs. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon