A total of 400,000 mangrove trees have been planted around the boardwalk in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental and nearby areas in a span of four years.
Head of the ROTC Corps Commanders Association in the Province, Sidney Lee, said on Wednesday they were targeting one million mangroves to be planted within a 10-year period in support of the “10M in 10” project of the Energy Development Corp.
The “10M in 10” for a greener Negros is EDC’s program to plant 10 million trees in 10 years, together with their partners in the government, non-government, and private sectors.
Lee said they will resume planting 11,000 mangroves in selected areas in November.
Among the organizations that contributed to the 400,000 planted mangroves as part of their commitment to achieve a greener Negros were the Friends of Earth headed by Laarni Lee, with 60,000 mangroves planted; the 79th Masaligan Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army with 10,000 mangroves planted during their stint in the Province; Mangroves Seagrasses Vital Synergy, 80,000 mangroves; Cartronix Logistics & Transport Corp. through Edward Du, 40,000 mangroves planted;
Negros Oriental ROTC Association of Corps Commanders through retired Col. Alfred Guath, 60,000 mangroves; corporate volunteer New Bian Yek Commercial Inc. and group of companies headed by Danford Sy, 30,000 mangroves; Tanjay City, headed by former mayor Lawrence Teves, and incumbent Mayor Rey Concepcion, 110,000 mangroves planted; and Salvador del Mundo, 10,000 mangroves planted.
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These organizations form part of the so-called Allied Mangrove Planting Organizations that target the vast mudflats of barangay San Isidro in Tanjay City.
Each group makes it a point to plant 10,000 mangroves in one year. This year alone, a total of 100,000 mangrove trees have been planted.
Mangroves are locally known as pagatpat, bakhaw baye, or bakhaw laki.
Lee said the propagules were bought for P1 to P2 each from villagers who live nearby and who now help guard the mangroves against firewood gatherers.
He said the volunteers were impressed with the environmental measures being implemented by Tanjay City, which even requires applicants to have business permits to plant propagules.
“What keeps us going is really for the protection of the environment,” he added.
Lee said locals and visitors alike love going to the boardwalk because of the fresh, clean air. Inside the mangrove plantation were more than 100 wild ducks and hundreds of birds.
Bird droppings become fertilizer and enrich the soil, hence, fish and shellfish abound in the area, according to Lee. (Juancho Gallarde)
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