Almost 50K native tree seedlings for LGUs

CEBU, Philippines - Sixteen local government units (LGUs) of the Cebu province have requested for native tree seedlings for the third run of Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) last June 29.

These are out of the 40 municipalities and cities that joined the said free running and planting event of RAFI. The municipality of Borbon in Cebu’s fifth district requested the highest number with 7,000 native seedlings.

A total of 49,700 native tree seedlings have been distributed to the requesting parties.

The provision of native tree seedlings has been made possible through the memorandum of understanding (MOU) of the LGUs, AboitizLand, and RAFI.

The LGU, as the proponent of the development initiative, will establish mechanisms that ensure regular care and maintenance of seedlings to achieve the optimum seedling survival of 90 to 95 percent.

They will also submit to RAFI quarterly monitoring reports for the first two years of planting and bi-annual reports for the next three years.

AboitizLand, as a real estate developer and an existing support partner, will produce high quality native seedlings that it can disperse for the purpose of reforestation, assisted natural regeneration, and/or biodiversity interventions.

In behalf of Aboitizland, RAFI will provide timely feedback of seedlings requested and coordinate with LGUs for the hauling of seedlings from the RAFI native tree nursery in Busay.

RAFI will also provide technical assistance and guidance to LGUs in the proper hauling and loading of seedlings, planting techniques, cultural practices needed in raising and growing native trees, and other concerns related to native tree plantation management.

The requests for native tree seedlings of other LGUs are still on-process.

This initiative of RAFI is under its Integrated Development unit Generation REdemption, and Expansion of Natural resources INitiatives in the Philippines (GREENIN) Philippines Program to ensure environmental sustainability by reversing the loss of environmental resources through the utilization of native tree species in its interventions in restoring and rehabilitating degraded forests and idle lands.

GREENIN Philippines Program is a program under the Integrated Development focus area of RAFI, addressing the foundations needed to develop successful communities. Its other focus areas include Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture & Heritage, Leadership & Citizenship, and Education.

For more information about the GREENIN Philippines Program, please contact 418-7234 loc. 515 and look for Bonifacio Amper, or visit www.rafi.org.ph/greenin-philippines or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph, or follow RAFI on Twitter, @rafiorgph.