MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, November 13 (PIA) – The Energy Development Corporation (EDC) partnership with the local government of Southern Leyt geared towards production of native tree species will be the first of its kind in the region.
According to Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) Dr. Eva Abad, ”the project aims to preserve and propagate these types of seedlings to eventually become the mother trees of the native tree species in the province.”
Abad said, “the native tree species are endangered nowadays as exotic tree species like germilina, mahogany and acasia mangguim which are very prolific and now grow dominantly around in our province.”
She added that EDC together with Provincial Governor Roger Mercado and the provincial heads of offices, among others, will plant the first 100 native tree species at the back of the Provincial Capitol building on November 8, 2014, one year after the super typhon.
Under the BINHI program of EDC, the provincial government of Southern Leyte will take care of the growth until it reaches maturity in the next ten years and become the source of good quality of native trees in the province, she said.
The mentioned exotic trees though fast growing were noted to have its not-so good impact to the environment as they were found to be to use up much water endangering our water tables nor friendly to the natural organisms since they do not come from our place, she added.
The tree planting highlighted the Provincial Arbor Day celebration which also coincided with the first commemoration of the victims during the onset of super typhoon Yolanda, Abad said.
There will be a synchronized tree planting across the province to be participated in by the 500 barangays of the 18 towns of the province to include the City of Maasin. At least 50 tree seedlings or an estimate of 25,000 seedlings will be planted on the same day, she said.(ajc/esg/PIA8 SoLeyte)
