Foundations expand tree planting program

RAMON Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) has partnered with ICTSI Foundation to expand its One to Tree program in Luzon.

The expansion aims to plant 45,000 trees in a 56-hectare area in Balayan, Batangas in the next three years.

“One development pillar of ICTSI Foundation is environmental protection, and we are happy to partner with RAFI, a known and credible foundation with its 20-year tree-growing advocacy,” said Filipina Laurena, ICTSI Foundation executive director.

Laurena said people’s organizations (POs) such as the Samahan ng mga Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries of Barangay Lucban, Balayan; Calan Farmers Association of Barangay Calan, Balayan; and Samahan ng mga Magsasaka at Kababaihan of Barangay Dao, Tuy, all in Batangas and the Center for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (CARRD) vowed to join the tree planting campaign.

She added over 50 farmer-members of the POs have committed to participate in seedling production, site preparation, planting, monitoring and maintenance activities for native tree growing.

A memorandum of understanding was signed with the municipal governments of Balayanto formalize the collaboration, including the provision of capacity-building assistance for the farmer-members of the POs.

Cacao, rambutan, avocado, coffee, guyabano, pomelo, lanzones and calamansi are some of the native trees to be planted and nurtured at the vacant, rolling and idle agricultural lands in sugarcane farms in the area.

“Over the last 20 years, our approach in RAFI has always been holistic. Aside from taking care of the environment, we make sure that the people who take care of the trees are also being taken care of,” RAFI President and Chief Executive Officer Amaya Aboitiz said.

Aboitiz said the One to Tree program aims to increase the country’s forest cover, enhance biodiversity and support bio-sequestration to help mitigate the impact of climate change in the Philippines.

Over the last two decades, at least 8.329 million native trees and 1.275 million of mangrove seedlings in 10,410 hectares of land were planted.

In 2021, RAFI planted a total of 641,311 native trees through its partners in the Visayas and Mindanao, Aboitiz said.

Samahan ng Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries President Mario Aplon said that assistance will be given to farmers.

“This is the reason why we readily accepted and grabbed this project opportunity from RAFI and ICTSI Foundation,” Aplon said.