DOLE plants 500 mahogany trees anew in Arayat town

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Some 500 “mahogany” seeds were planted over the weekend at the foot of Mt. Arayat National Park during a treeplanting activity organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The seedlings, which can grow into tropical canopy trees, were planted along the identified plantation site in Barangay San Juan Baño, Arayat town.

The labor agency partnered with the town’s local government through its Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) in line with the country’s expanded National Greening Program (NGP).

DOLE Regional Director Zenaida Angara-Campita reported to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III that 50 DOLE personnel from the regional and field offices participated in the said activity.

The personnel included labor inspectors, technical and administrative staff from the technical support and services, internal management services divisions, and provincial field and satellite offices.

“We convened early as 3:00 am in full-force for this year’s tree-planting activity highlighting DOLE Central Luzon’s main event under the Green our DOLE Program (GDOP), a program which aims to strengthen the labor agency’s advocacy on green issues and mitigation solutions for better delivery of programs and services to the public,” Campita explained.

“The GDOP is also the Labor Department’s deep commitment to the country’s expanded National Greening Program by fostering social responsibility to our community and engaging them and our program partners in planting new trees and sow them to ensure a better environment for future generations,” she added.

The DOLE regional office’s Internal Management Services Division (IMSD) procured the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’(DENRs) required seedlings and necessary equipment needed for the treeplanting activity.

The local government’s Public Employment Service Office (PESO) personnel as well as barangay officials were also present to provide their assistance during the event.

Meanwhile, the City College of Mabalacat and City Government of San Fernando provided the coaster buses to transport the labor agency’s personnel to the plantation site.

Campita was joined by Arayat Mayor Emmanuel Alejandrino, PESO Manager Arlyn Sebastian, IMSD head Lorna Toldoya, DOLE field office heads, and other local officials to oversee the event.

The event marks the fourth tree-planting activity initiated by the DOLE Regional Office along with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.