Limlingan: More trees please

FORMER Yano vocalist Dong Abay's protest in 2012 makes sense. In the said year, he tied himself, while wearing only shorts, to a pine tree along Session Road in Baguio City as a protest to the cutting of 182 grown trees to make way for a parking lot.

Yano is a Filipino folk and rock band formed in 1993 with political and social themes such as Banal na Aso, Trapo, Kumusta Na? among others. The group's songs likewise featured various situations in Philippine society such as what happened after the EDSA revolution, frequent brown-outs, the suppresion of freedom etc.

Yano's songs are relevant and so Abay too who took himself on a tying-to-a-pinetree act his protest on the cutting of trees. Unfortunate for him, his message then was not given much attention until the recent damage Baguio City took tolls when Typhoon Ompong pummelled several areas in the northern part of the country.

Abay's protest was vindicated when landslides in various places in Benguet province occured, claiming several lives. Many places were flooded brought by the said typhoon. Landslides were attributed to the lack of trees that might have prevented soil erosion.

Trees are known to be effective means in avoiding the washing away of earth when heavy rains are experienced. There are landslide-prone areas which are evidently denuded with trees due to logging.

Some areas are likewise flooded because of the lack of trees which act as natural sponge, absorbing water during the rainy season and releasing some during the dry months.

As long as humans live on this planet, trees are needed. Not only they provide food or wood but also because they act as natural solutions to calamities such as landslides and flood. We are cutting trees however, faster than we plant them.

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On Monday, the Bataan Provincial Government launched a project that is to plant one million trees in different parts of the said province. The project, aimed at contributing something good for the environment, challenges residents to plant trees in various places they can.

The project can likewise earn raffle entries and win prizes for those who participates in the said endeavor. This entices people to document their planting of trees and sustaining their growth. Along with the provincial capitol is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as one of Bataan's partner for the project.

If only other provinces would emulate what Bataan is doing, then floodings and landslides would be significantly minimized if not avoided. Well, we can always contribute something for the environment and its never too late.

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After the typhoon comes relief goods which in some places never reach victims of flood. Relief-giving is a good project in helping victims of calamities get sighs of relief from such occurrences. Some national and local government agencies and private companies are made into good Samaritans after helping others.

For the flood-stricken victims, relief-goods are blessings from the public and private sector regardless of the quantity. Relief-goods are some reasons to smile despite the being victimized by calamities natural or otherwise.

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For any comments, ideas, suggestions or opinions, text or call The Advocate at 0921-3636360 or send email at dencious@gmail.com

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