Lray of hope for the forests

His is a brand of leadership that has propelled Camarines Sur (CamSur) from the 39th poorest province in the Philippines to its 10th richest; and from anonymity to the limelight as the country’s top tourist destination.And now, it is the next site of the prestigious Advertising Congress, besting other major destinations in the country.

“I try to exceed expectations,” says Camarines Sur (CamSur) Gov. Lray Villafuerte of his leadership style. “I learned when I was in the private sector that success comes when one exceeds expectations.”

And so when Lray decided to reforest CamSur, he decided to do it with aplomb. He wasn’t just going to plant trees, he was going to plant 12 million trees — enough to carpet CamSur’s denuded terrain and make it to the Guinness Book of World Records.

The EL Verde 12 Million Trees by 2012 project takes on a challenge never before seen anywhere in the world — plant 12 million trees by year 2012 that would make the Philippines the “Green Capital of Asia” and place CamSur in a coveted spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The first and the biggest environmental conservation movement for the country, EL Verde 12 Million Trees by 2012 was launched with two cities, 35 municipalities, 1,036 barangays and over 73,710 people planting 574,000 trees in one hour last Feb. 23. In the town of Surima in CamSur, a total of 80,000 trees were planted within one hour, claiming the Guinness Book of World Records title from India where 50,000 trees were simultaneously planted in one area.

Participants plant trees in Surima, Camarines Sur. They planted a total of 80,000 trees within one hour, claiming the Guinness Book of World Records title from India where 50,000 trees were simultaneously planted in one area.

President Benigno “Noynoy” C. Aquino III took time out from his very busy schedule last Feb. 23 — it was the week of the silver anniversary of the EDSA revolution — and graced the formal launching of the project in Sto. Niño, Pili, CamSur, planting a tree himself.

 That President Aquino would fly all the way to CamSur to support a governor’s ambitious tree-planting project is testimony to the track record of Lray.

* * *

Seven years ago, Lray dreamed of tugging Camarines Sur out of the tunnel of poverty and the stigma of being an insignificant province.

“We changed the brand and resurrected the image. We built the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC). We developed the Caramoan Peninsula. From being the 39th poorest province, we are now the 10th richest in terms of income. We are now the country’s number one destination according to the Department of Tourism. From being number 12, we are now the country’s fifth biggest rice producer. We have cut down malnutrition by more than 45 percent. We are the number one tourist destination in the Bicol Region, accounting for more than 55 percent of tourist arrivals,” Lray recalls.

Two years ago, I covered the Gawad Kalinga Summit in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Lray was easily one of its stars — wonder why? Of all the Philippines’ provinces, CamSur had the most number of GK villages, the only province to have a GK Village in each municipality and city.

In a country where 70 percent of Filipinos are still landless (40 percent of them squatting in urban areas), Lray championed the building of over 3,000 GK homes. Three thousand families with new homes may be just a fraction of the total figure of homeless Filipinos — but Lray was then in office for only five years. (At the sidelights of the GK summit, Lray visited the JFK Memorial Library in the Greater Boston Area and took a long look at the dedication emblazoned on one wall of the lobby of Library: “To all those who seek a better world through politics.” He said he was inspired.)

Having set a record in building homes for the homeless in his province, Lray now is training his sights on reforestation. Why?

“Every year, the cutting down of trees continues to be one of the biggest environmental problems. According to figures recorded by the United Nations, close to 17 million acres are lost due to deforestation,” he points out, adding, “World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has also recorded some 25 to 50 acres of rainforest burned to the ground. The destruction of rainforests will significantly increase the damage not just environmentally, but also to livelihood. Major ill effects such as agriculture drought, fire, soil erosion and livestock ranching will cause a major damage in the rainforests. Losing 60 percent of the rainforests would accelerate global warming and affect rainfall worldwide.”

“But there is still hope for all of us,” he believes. “The EL Verde 12 Million Trees by 2012 movement is a biodiversity conservation, economic development and a climate change adaptation strategy dedicated to reversing the rate of deforestation in CamSur. It plans to end poverty and diminish hunger, while at the same time help protect the environment and productivity of the land for future generations.”

“If CamSur can do it, so can all the other local government units,” says Lray. The maverick governor hopes to influence other provinces to help make Philippines the Green Capital of Asia.

“The fight to save the environment is far from over, ” warns Lray. “The battle to preserve and protect what we still have continues for as long as we all shall live. The clock is ticking. We are called to act NOW.”

Soroptimists-Makati auction off celebrities’ memorabilia for a cause

Former President Joseph Estrada autographs a jacket that he donated to the Soroptimist Club of Makati for auction.

The wristband used by former President Joseph Estrada during the 2010 presidential campaign, an autographed  polo shirt of former President Fidel Ramos and a painting of Ogie Alcasid  are just some of the many collector’s items up for auction on March 5 and 6 , from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Formoso Hall of Rockwell’s Architectural Center.

This “Live Your Dream Sale” is a project of the Soroptimist International of Makati to benefit projects that improve the lives of women and young girls in the club’s adopted barangays in Makati and Pasay.

According to auctions committee chair Tess Gonzalez, it will be a two-day long silent auction of paintings, jewelry and other interesting artifacts.

The sale will feature special items like the two oil paintings done by Pangasinan Rep. Gina De Venecia, a pen and ink sketch of singer Basil Valdez and  an artwork by Ogie Alcasid. It will also feature personal items that belonged to former Presidents Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada, which were donated to the club in support of this activity.

 (You may e-mail me at [email protected])