Thousands join Catanduanes reforestation on 11-11-11

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Philippines—Thousands of volunteers again made reforestation history on Friday, planting 118,890 tree seedlings in Catanduanes in one day, according to organizers of Project 11-11-11.

The number broke the 64,096 planted by 7,000 people in Camarines Sur on Feb. 23 under the El Verde movement of Gov. LRay Villafuerte, who got the idea from Catanduanes Rep. Cesar Sarmiento. The lawmaker used the unique dates of Jan. 11, 2011, and Nov. 11, 2011, to launch the simultaneous tree planting as part of his environmental program for Catanduanes.

The 11-11-11 activity resulted in the planting of 32,294 trees.

Unlike the El Verde activity, Project 11-11-11 did not intend to seek recognition from the Guinness Book of World Records as setting records was not the motivation of participants, the district office said.

Sarmiento visited schools and tree planting sites on Friday. Earlier that day, he joined Supreme Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez in planting a tree before the unveiling of the Lady Justice statue at the Regional Trial Court.

In the capital town of Virac, 5,491 trees were planted in 52 of the 63 barangays. These do not include the 3,895 planted by students of 34 elementary schools and another 900 by students in public high schools. Four tertiary institutions chipped in with 3,970 with the bulk coming from Catanduanes State Colleges.

Records show that 11 municipalities were expected to plant a total of 61,500 trees that day. Gov. Joseph Cua led provincial officials and employees, as well as representatives of national agencies in planting 13,240 trees in water catchment areas and landslide-prone areas.

Various organizations planted 17,170 trees in marshlands, swamps, balding forests, riverbanks, coastal mangrove areas and other sites where ecological balance was at risk.

The majority of the seedlings were planted by the Catanduanes Sustainable Ecological Management, Philippine National Police, Philippine National Red Cross, Mountain Care and Hikers Association, Guinobatan barangay officials, Catanduanes Power Generation Inc., Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, and the Department of Public Works and Highways high up in Mt. Lantad in Bato town.

To protect the remaining forest cover and watersheds, National Power Corp., First Catanduanes Electric Cooperative, Sunwest Water and Electricity Corp. and the water district offices of Virac and Bato planted 2,050 trees in mountains where they get their water, while Land Bank, Smart Communications and the Agricultural and Rural Development for Catanduanes Inc. added 310 more.

For a safe and landslide-free travel around the new roads in the province, the Catanduanes Contractors Association also joined in planting 7,600 trees along respective construction sites.

Private individuals also contributed 2,194 trees.

Most of the planting materials were supplied by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Some came from a tree nursery of Virac Mayor Cito Alberto.

Aside from tree planting activities and establishment of community nurseries in barangays, Sarmiento expected the benefits from building eco-parks, both for the economy and the environment of the province. “Our commitment to protect the environment and all other natural resources will never end in just a single day. Our next big mission will be keeping these hundred thousand of trees fit and sturdy,” he said.

Known as the “Isle of the Howling Winds,” Catanduanes, one of six provinces in Bicol, is usually in the path of powerful storms in the country that periodically cause landslides and deaths. In 1970, the province was hit by the country’s strongest recorded howler, Supertyphoon “Sening,” which packed winds of 315 kilometers per hour.

It suffered heavy casualties and damage from three successive supertyphoons—“Loleng” in 1995, “Rosing” in 1998, and “Reming” in 2006.