DENR to plant trees on Death March route

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will launch today a greening project aimed at growing trees along the Death March trail to call attention to the heroism of some 60,000 Filipinos and 15,000 American soldiers captured by Japanese soldiers in 1942.

The 111-kilometer trail is between Mariveles in Bataan to San Fernando in Pampanga.

DENR Secretary Ramon Paje said the project will be pursued under the government’s National Greening Program in partnership with various veterans groups and Tarlac local government units (LGUS).

“The occasion’s historical import provides an impetus for our people to regard our collective duty to regain the country’s verdant past a part of our identity as a people,” Paje said.

Dubbed “Trees: Keeping the Flame of Heroism Alive,” the project will be launched at the Capas National Shrine in Tarlac this morning. The DENR will lead the event in partnership with the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 28-Philippines, Sons and Daughters of Tarlac World War II Veterans, American Legion Philippine Department, United States Veterans Affairs, Filipino-American Memorial Endowment Inc., Philippine Veterans Affairs Office of the Department of National Defense, LGUs and private institutions.

Fruit-bearing trees will be planted during a ceremonial tree planting activity.

Paje also said the tree-planting activity will also form part of a multi-agency collaborative effort for the national observance of the “Pambansang Araw ng mga Bayaning Pilipino” led by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.