Thursday, September 25, 2008 BCDA, RFI lead tree planting at SCTEX
THE Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Recycling Foundation Inc. (RFI) led last Wednesday the planting of about 300 tree seedlings along the Dolores section of the newly completed Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx).
Prior to the tree planting activity, RFI chairman Rox Peña donated 300 Balacat tree seedlings in simple turnover ceremonies held at the SCTEx Dolores Interchange Ramp in Mabalacat, Pampanga.
SCTEx program manager for administration support services Trifonio Salazar, in charge of the greening program, received the donation on behalf of the BCDA-SCTEX.
Among those who took part in the tree planting activity were representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office led by Executive Director Regidor de Leon and BCDA and RFI staff.
The Balacat tree, an endangered species, is an indigenous tree which was once very abundant in Mabalacat, hence the reason why the town was named after it.
Mabalacat means "full of balacat" in Pampango.
The DENR, Mabalacat and RFI signed a memorandum of agreement last year to propagate the balacat in the town.
To date, 2,000 indigenous trees of various species have been planted along SCTEx. The BCDA launched its "Greening SCTEX Program" last July 24 with the goal to plant 20,000 trees along the 94-kilometer (km) toll road in five years.
During the kick-off ceremony, about 500 volunteers represented by the BCDA, Clark Development Corporation, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Armed Forces of the Philippines, DENR regional office, and local non-government organizations took part in the tree-planting event.
Among the objectives of the five-year tree planting program include: to promote the preservation of indigenous tree species, foster a healthier ecology along the expressway, and enhance the toll road's aesthetic value.
The tree-planting program foresees forging partnerships with corporations and other organizations to adopt a kilometer of the 94-km stretch of SCTEx for planting trees.
