DLPC-planted trees line up Magtuod-Calinan road

IN JULY 2010, over three hundred employees of Aboitiz-owned Davao Light & Power Co. (DLPC) and Aboitiz-controlled Union Bank of the Philippines virtually lined up the entire length of the Magtuod-New Valencia section of the shortcut from Carlos P. Garcia Diversion Road to Calinan.

They were there for a noble purpose -- plant some 4,000 trees for the environment and for safety consideration. They were there as employees of socially responsible corporate citizens.

The Aboitiz firms' employees, and all those who have taken the said route, knew only too well that more than half the distance of the road traverses on plateaus with both sides having deep embankments with very much little plain to spare. Thus, the area has been considered most prone to vehicular accidents with potential serious consequence.

With environment and protection of travelers' lives in mind, Davao Light decided to do its massive tree planting activities along the said route. It invited its sister company Union Bank to join.

Thus, 4,000 seedlings of narra, molave, and Indian tree were lined up along the route. People in the community were tapped to do the hole digging and sticking to ensure that proper spacing is observed.

The companies hope that with the trees able to grow over the years it can help in some way in the gargantuan efforts of preventing the fast pace of environmental degradation.

The electric utility and its sister banking company are also optimistic that once the narra and molave grow to become sturdy trunks these will not only hold off landslides on embankments but serve as natural protective bars that can prevent vehicles from falling down the cliffs in instances of road accidents.

Today, less than three years since the planting, narra and molave trees have grown up to as tall as 15 to 20 feet with trunks having average diameter of 4 to 5 inches.

The number of surviving trees though may not be the ideal expected. What with some of them victims of creeping development in the area and of the neglect of some community residents.

But trees are trees. Once they grow they become trees for the environment; trees for life. And the life these trees represent maybe our own.