Augustus Bretaña, city environment and natural resources officer, said the amount was apportioned for “gasoline, rental, labor, and other related expenditure items.”
But city Mayor Peter B. Miguel pointed out that the amount may be insufficient to achieve this year’s target of 250,000 trees planted in 1,000 hectares in Quezon Mountain Range.
“The amount is still lacking to cover all necessary expenses. This is why we have been soliciting assistance and donations from our partners,” Mayor Miguel said.
He said they still need funds to defray expenses in logistics, preparation of the planting sites, purchase of needed fruit and forest tree seedlings, and transport of the planting materials to the tree-growing locations.
“We are also soliciting donations of planting materials especially from national line agencies like the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” he said.
He also said that this early he is already thankful to the help that businesses, private institutions, non-government organizations, people’s organizations, DENR, and others will extend to the festival, which could be considered one of the largest one-day tree-planting activity in the country by a local government unit.
Based on the post-activity report of the City ENRO, the first tree-growing festival last year was participated by more than 20,000 volunteers who planted 131,028 fruit and forest tress in 522.78 hectares in Roxas Mountain Range, specifically in barangays Saravia, San Isidro, Carpenter Hill, Assumption, Mambucal, and Paraiso. Original target was only 120,000.
“The Tree Growing Festival is just one among the major efforts of this City in its environmental advocacies. We know how important trees are if we are to preserve and protect our environment.,” Mayor Miguel said in his appeal for cooperation and volunteerism from Koronadaleños.
He added that the 2nd Tree-Growing Festival will be bigger and will cover more areas which will send a concrete message that the local government is very serious in addressing basic environmental concerns.
Since targets this year, have been doubled, the city government has recently embarked in a massive information drive to recruit volunteers and agency support.
A 15-feet billboard has been installed at the Gen. Paulino Santos monument at the city center. Besides counting down the days to the big day, the same billboard also urges individuals and groups to register.
Interested parties may register at City ENRO at the second floor of the city hall in Barangay Carpenter Hill.
The LGU has also opened registration booths inside Ace Centerpoint, KCC Mall of Marbel and Gaisano Grand Mall.
Tree-Growing Festival is an annual activity of the city government and is one of the major priorities of Mayor Miguel in line with his Masaganang Kalikasan Program.
It is being held in support of the Environment Month celebration and the National Greening Program of the Aquino Administration.
It is also aimed at increasing the city’s forest cover, which according to a report of the CENRO before the 2011 Tree-Growing Festival was only around 150 hectares of second growth trees.
For more information regarding the 2nd Tree-Growing Festival, visit the city LGUs website, www.koronadal.gov.ph or call telephone no. (083) 228-1732. (DEDoguiles/PIA 12)
