(Photo by Roberto Gonzalez)
Students In The Philippines Encouraged To Plant Trees
The Philippines is a tropical island nation in the Pacific and is a place teeming with wildlife and natural beauty. However, with concerns over the environment, climate change and more, the country has suffered a bit and in order to improve the environment, the Philippines will now require – by law – all graduating students from elementary school to college plant 10 trees each before they can graduate.
Called the “Graduation Legacy For the Environment Act,” the measure was approved in the House and has been sent to the Philippines Senate for action.
Proponents of the law see this as an opportunity for the Filipino youth to help address the issues of climate change while helping to build a greener environment.
The House Bill, authored by representative Gary Alejano, said, “To this end, the educational system shall be a focus for propagating ethical and sustainable use of natural resources among the young to ensure the cultivation of a socially-responsible and conscious citizenry.”
Looking forward, Alejano hopes that the new measure will ensure the planting of 525 billion trees, as over 12 million students will graduate from elementary school each year, 5 million from high school and 500,000 from college. That means that 175 million new trees would be planted each year.
Under the law, the trees will need to be planted in areas such as forests, mangroves, ancestral domains, and urban areas.
By: Maytinee Kramer
