Trees & marriage (Go together like horse and carriage)

Minglanilla town may recently look like a hamburger patty filling in between Talisay City and Naga City with the latter’s conversion into a component city.

But no matter how pinned this municipality may appear today, in between two developing cities, it is proud to have long ago established itself as an important destination during the Lenten season for its spectacular celebration of Easter Sunday, referred nowadays as the “Kabanhawan Festival”.

Aside from that, Minglanilla is proud that though it is still working on its runup to cityhood, it has come up with a “laudable solution in addressing concerns on global warming with doses of romantic spirit.”

“We are increasing the number of trees planted yearly in parts of this town since the year 2000 by requiring marrying couples to plant trees as requisite for marriage license,” this according to town councilor Concordio Mejias.

Mejias, who is vice chairman of the council committee on agriculture and fisheries, is the author of Ordinance 9-96 requiring couples who wish to marry to plant one tree sapling each.

He said the idea came about as he and Municipal Agriculture officer Crescencio Bajo were discussing strategies on how to address the problem on diminishing trees in Minglanilla.

Flashfloods and landslides were observed in some parts of Minglanilla, possibly due to the lack of trees in the upland areas, he said.

The two then agreed that planting trees would be a fun and beneficial activity for marrying couples to indulge in as they seek for marriage license.

Bajo identified that the planting sites include those designated by the barangay captains as well as the five-kilometer stretch of provincial road to the upland barangays of Tubod, Cuanos and Manduwang.

Mahogany and gemelina saplings were distributed then. But because these were learned to be exotic species that do not encourage undergrowth, and are not plant-foods of endemic species of animals, the municipality with the advice of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources turned to fruit bearing trees such as jackfruit.

As the consciousness for the plight of the ailing environment heightened, the crafted ordinance also included students, from both private and public schools, who are to graduate from the elementary/grade school and secondary levels to do the same.

Municipal Local Civil Registrar officer Zenaida Jakosalem said the certificate to be issued by the Municipal Social Welfare Office for the pre-marriage counseling should bear the signature of the Municipal Agricultural Officer, otherwise no marriage license will be issued.

For an average of 300 marriage license applications annually, Minglanilla already earned P6,000 yearly or almost P50,000 since 2000.

Income derived from graduating students of both public and private elementary and secondary levels reaches an average of P100,000 annually.

But the move is not all about the money, though it helps fund the coffers. What cannot be measured by money are the benefits of growing trees. — /MEEV