Perhaps the first public environmental act of Atty. Antonio A. Aposa Jr. was as a UP Law student when he rounded up the warring fraternity members and made them plant balete trees in the Diliman campus.
Reading about this inspired me to submit a proposal to the FU Administrative Council that the 62nd commencement ceremonials where Oposa is guest speaker and will be bestowed an honorary degree of Doctor of Humanities, honoris causa, will have him planting a tree at the FU main campus.
This was never done before in any commencement exercises, noted my colleagues. Seems irrelevant to a solemn ceremony, and seemingly-un-academic in nature.
I asked: “Is there anything visible on campus to evoke memories of all the past illustrious men (no woman, yet) on whom FU has recognized with an honorary degree?” “What beckons the honorees and their children to come back and visit their Alma Mater after they have received their degrees?” “Has anyone among those whom FU had so honored come back to visit the campus?”
Maybe if we make them plant a tree, they will be curious enough to come back and see how their tree is growing. So let’s start a tradition, with Atty. Oposa, of planting the first tree on campus to record all subsequent persons who are so honored by Foundation University, I suggested.
As the proponent, I asked around what tree is most appropriate for Oposa to plant. First suggestion was to replicate what he did at UP, plant a balete tree. No, I said, let’s do something different. How about the stately Philippine mahogany to symbolize his achievements? A fire tree was also suggested, which caught my fancy because I recall a declaration that Oposa made in a eulogy he delivered for his colleague and fellow Magsaysay Awardee, nature and sea defender Elpidio “Jojo” de la Victoria, who was murdered on April 12, 2006 allegedly by protectors of illegal fishing syndicates in Bantayan, Cebu: “If you think you have extinguished the fire of our fervor, you have only fanned the flame of passion.”
The reference to “fire” and “flame” made me choose the fire tree, and we began to execute the plan.
FU landscaper Joseph Culagbang had his boys dig the hole on the ground, appropriately located in front of the College of Law & Jurisprudence. The fire tree seedling was selected, and a protective fence was likewise prepared. I also ordered a sign made by the Creative Department signifying that the tree was planted by Oposa and quoting that portion of the eulogy. Everything was ready, a week prior to commencement day. Or so I thought.
Monday morning, March 14, six days before commencement day, the Administrative Council met for a final briefing. I was assigned to deliver whatever needs to be said in the tree-planting ceremony. March 15, at around 2 in the morning, I woke up with a start, for like out of a dream, a question popped up in my mind: “Mequi, what do you know about fire trees?”
Jumping out of bed, I grabbed my iPad and typed in the search box: “characteristics of fire tree” and I was horrified to read: “Fire tree (Morella faya tree) is designated as a noxious weed. Or a plant species that has been designated by state or national agricultural authorities as one that is injurious to agricultural and/or horticultural crops and/or humans and livestock.”
The thought of making Tony Oposa plant a noxious tree alarmed me.
With the wonder of the internet, I chose to tell the rest of the story through the following emails, and please note the time these were sent:
Perry Mequi to Alex Pal, 2:09:01 —I am desperate, and I need your help. I created the scenario for AO to plant a fire tree to symbolize his passion and fervor as a warrior of nature. I just did research on the fire tree and found that it is one of the 100 worst and most noxious plants for many ecological reasons. Please do something to make Tony reveal what is his favorite tree. Otherwise, we will resort to his planting a mango tree, or just replicate what he did in the UP campus, plant a balete tree. May I have this info asap as we have just a few days before commencement day?
Alex to Antonio Oposa, 5:48:45 — One activity we have included for your arrival on commencement day is the planting of the Tony Oposa tree inside the FU main campus. We thought of a fire tree but Dr. Mequi now says it is supposedly not a good specie. Do you have a preferred tree?
Oposa to Alex, 6:58:56–Thanks. I like that. Ilang ilang would be good. Or a bamboo. Holds a lot of water.
In less than five hours, we got the go signal to proceed to accomplish what I had wanted to do for a man whom I described to Atty. Rudy Fernandez, a classmate of Oposa, thus: “I never had an idol but at my age of 74, I found one in Atty. Oposa.”
The ilang ilang or perfume tree that Atty. Antonio Oposa plants at the FU campus this March 20, and which we anticipate will grow tall, emitting its special fragrance over our campus for many years yet to come, finds significance in this line from Michael Roudnitska: “A perfume which lasts is carrying the direction of the future.”
