THE House of Representatives passed on third and final reading House Bill 8727 which requires parents to plant two trees for every child born to them.
HB 8727, authored by Baguio City Representative Mark Go, covers all parents residing in the Philippines whether legally married or not.
These trees will be planted within the premises of their own home or in an area to be designated by the barangay council where they reside with the approval of the DENR.
“This is a simple way of protecting and preserving our environment and helping the State to achieve its goal of ecological balance,” Go said.
The bill directs the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) of the DENR and the Department of Agriculture to maintain a seedling bank that will serve as the ready source for seedlings to be provided to couples.
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reveal an average of 4,791 babies are born daily, or 200 babies per hour. A total of 1,748,857 births were registered in 2014.
“If this will be enacted into a law, this will result to almost 4,000,000 trees planted annually. This shows our collective initiative in helping our environment but most importantly, there will be an increased environmental consciousness and care,” the Baguio solon said.
The measure will now be transmitted to the Senate for its consideration.