Plant trees to graduate

Jun 21, 2019

MANILA: A new Filipino law requires all high school and college students to plant at least 10 trees each before they can graduate.

The law formalises a tradition of planting trees upon graduation, which is also hoped to combat global climate change.

The proponents of the law say the legislation could result in as many as 525 billion trees planted in a generation.

The Philippines’ Magdalo Party representative Gary Alejano, who was the principal author of the legislation said, “With over 12 million students graduating from elementary, nearly five million students graduating from high school and almost 500,000 graduating from college each year, this initiative, if properly implemented, will ensure that at least 175 million new trees would be planted each year.

“In the course of one generation, no less than 525 billion trees can be planted under this initiative,” Alejano said in the bill’s explanatory note.

“Even with a survival rate of only 10 per cent, this would mean an additional 525 million trees would be available for the youth to enjoy when they assume the mantle of leadership in the future.”

The trees will apparently be planted in mangroves, existing forests, some protected areas, military ranges, abandoned mining sites and selected urban areas, according to CNN’s Philippines news service.

The government said the species selected for planting must be appropriate to each location, climate and topography of the area and there will also be a preference for indigenous species.

In addition to the immediate carbon-absorbing impact of the trees, it is hoped the legislation will help bring environmental understanding to future generations and lead to further ecological initiatives. --Matters India