Forests for life launched to address climate change

Youth, local government, farmers and environment groups launched a new movement for the country’s dwindling forests at the foothills of Mts. Banahaw-San Cristobal in Laguna province last July 14.

Forests For Life Movement aims to bring back biodiversity in the country’s rainforests with the help of all sectors and people from all walks of life. The launch comes as excessive rains begin to hit the country, exacerbated by climate change.

“Even though San Cristobal is far from the coast, our actions here will have an impact on the ecosystem beneath it,” stressed Noel Resurreccion, conservation site action manager of the Haribon Foundation, one of the members of the Forests for Life Movement.

To culminate the launch, a tree planting activity took place inside the Mts. Banahaw-San Cristobal protected landscape. Volunteers from various sectors joined the activity including partici- pants from Cebu Pacific. The seedlings were provided by local community groups San Cristobal Farmer’s Association and the San Cristobal Young Farmers.

“Our activity today is called planting, reviving and protecting. We will not abandon our seedlings until they are capable of growing on their own,” explained Salud Pangan, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Protected Area Superintendent of the Mts. Banahaw San Cristobal Protected Landscape.

According to Haribon Foundation, the Philippines has lost more than 75 percent of its forest cover since the 1900s.

“We are past the 40 percent minimum needed to support water-related functions alone. To ensure that all ecological benefits and services are addressed, we need more than half of the country to be covered in forest or at least 54 percent. Benefits include provision of water resulting in the decreased occurrence of landslide,” said Haribon.