DENR, QC government forge re-greening pact

Soon other cities will be green with envy.

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Heherson Alvarez forged a memorandum of agreement (MOA) yesterday for the re-greening of the major thoroughfares and parks in the city.

The re-greening program begin at the QC Park, the frontyard of the 14- hectare City Hall.

The planting of trees in parks and along roads is part of a comprehensive program of the national and local government to clean the air, provide aesthetic value and a pleasing ambience and to beautify Quezon City."

The MOA is also a part of existing environmental project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Quezon City government, dubbed Oplan Sagip Puno.

Under the agreement, the DENR will assist in the inspection of planting sites and provide plants and seedlings while City Hall will be responsible for the preparation of a development plan, protection and maintenance of areas planted in coordination with concerned barangays.

Belmonte received yesterday a small Saraca tree – the king of flowering plants – from Alvarez. It will be planted at the QC Park.

"We want to make Quezon City a green city," Belmonte said.

Among the major thoroughfares included in the beautification project are the Congressional and IBP Roads along with East, Visayas, Quezon and Commonwealth Avenues. A total of 212 parks mostly in subdivisions will also be covered.

"This is the gardening effort of QC. We will dress the city appropriately with shrubs, trees, flowers that we can be proud of," Alvarez said.

He announced that the DENR is in the process of getting 250 hectares in La Mesa Dam, which will be the site of a "Living Museum" of plants. – Pia Lee-Brago, Katherine Adraneda