PBSP to kick off annual reforestation caravan

PBSP to kick off annual reforestation caravan
Cebu Daily News, Community section
May 26, 2010


There will be thousands more of trees that will help Cebu adopt to climate change in the coming years.

The Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), the largest corporate-led foundation in the country, is once again launching its annual Cebu Hillylands Reforestation Caravan from June to September 2010.

For this year, PBSP will reforest an additional 100 hectares of the 504-hectare adopted by the Kantipla Ecosystems Enhancement and Protection (KEEP) Foundation.

The Cebu Hillyland Reforestation Caravan is PBSP's main activity in the campaign to reforest the denuded areas of the 29,000-hectare Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL).

The CCPL is Metro Cebu's major source of potable water. As extreme weather brought on by climate change wreaked havoc, the need for massive reforestation has become more urgent.

Since its first reforestation efforts in 1992, PBSP has been able to cover more than 1,000 hectares in CCPL with over a million seedlings of indigenous, fruit bearing and forest trees.

Last year, PBSP was able to reforest 76 hectares with the participation of 24 companies.

This year's reforestation caravan will run for 15 Saturdays and will kick off on June 19.

Cebu Microelectronics Inc. already adopted 3.2 hectares or 8,000 seedlings. The Philippine Recyclers Association-Cebu Chapter adopted a hectare to be planted with 2,500 seedlings. Yamashin-Filter Corp. also committed to adopt 3,000 seedlings while Jollibee Foods Corporation-Vismin, PLDT and Vivant Corp. will field their empliyees for the annual caravan.

For the kick-off, PBSP hopes to gather 300 volunteers from 30 companies and other stakeholders to plant 12,500 indigenous tree seedlings in a five-hectare area.

Companies can be involved by adopting a hectare for reforestation or by organizing employee-volunteers to help plant trees on any scheduled Saturday of the caravan. A hectare costs P45,000 to reforest, including maintenance and replanting of seedlings.

Interested corporate sponsors and volunteers may contact Malu Largo at 2325270 or 2325238 or email mblargo@pbsp.org.ph/malu.b.largo@gmail.com for details.