Albayanos plant 0.5-M trees

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines  – Albay Gov. Joey Sarte Salceda got his 51st birthday wish: Half a million trees or more planted in his province.Expectedly, the recipient is ecstatic.

Albayanos have trooped in droves, since about two weeks ago, planting fruit and forest trees on hillsides and vacant lands, and mangroves seedlings along the province’s coastlines. He marked his 51st birthday on Oct. 26, but the activity continues and could last for months.

Known as the ‘Green Economist,’ Salceda has pioneered a strong and sustained campaign on environment protection, disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). The greening program of Albay forms part of his holistic crusade. 

Targeted for planting are more than 500,000 fruit and forest tree seedlings, aside from over 35,000 mangrove planting materials prepared and generated with the assistance of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here under Regional Executive Director Gilbert Gonzales. 

Households in barangays were also provided vegetable seedlings for their backyard gardens. Albay pilots an innovative, microcredit and food production program in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to help make beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfers (CCT) or 4PS self-reliant by 2014. It is referred to as the “Modified CCT Program.” 

Local government units contribute their share in the effort by conducting their own tree planting and backyard gardening activities. Civic groups do the same in addition to their supplementary feeding programs among school children. 

Among the birthday greetings that poured online on his Facebook and email accounts and through personal deliveries. Salceda’s favorite greeting is a school boy’s modest handwritten note on a grade school paper.

Well loved for his innovations and indomitable leadership, Salceda now runs unopposed in his reelection for a third term as governor in the 2013 elections. “I have no political enemies.  My only enemies are disasters, climate change and poverty,” he noted. 

Albayanos recognize the many significant blessings Salceda achieved for them during his two terms (2007-2013) as governor including the 252,000 PhilH    ealth-covered poorest families; 64,000 recipients of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps; over 34,000 scholarship beneficiaries; and more than 178,000 tourists inflow. 

“By 2016, Albay will be more progressive, competitive, with an egalitarian society where economic development will be faster and more meaningful for everyone; where no one is left behind and where the potentials and dreams of every child can find fulfillment,” Salceda confidently predicted.