PBSP, companies enrich Cebu on refo kickoff

With more than 25,000 indigenous trees
PBSP, companies enrich Cebu on refo kickoff

Starting today, Cebu's companies and other institutions will work hand in hand in making the Cebu Hillylands greener.

More than 1,000 volunteers will start planting 25,000 indigenous tree seedlings in Sitio Cantipla I & II of Barangay Tabunan, Cebu City for the kickoff of the 2010 Cebu Hillylands Reforestation Caravan organized by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP).

This is the largest number of employee volunteers PBSP was able to gather for the kickoff since its first reforestation caravan on 1988.

The Central Cebu Protected Landscape, also known as 
the Cebu Hillylands. 

PBSP's environmental efforts aim to help enrich and conserve the 29,000-hectare Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL), Metro Cebu's major source of potable water.

Planting indigenous trees in the area can help enhance biodiversity and preserve the home of various endemic species such as the Cebu cinnamon plant, Cebu black shama (siloy) and the Cebu flowerpecker.

Companies and individuals take an active part in PBSP's reforestation caravan by either adopting a hectare to be reforested or deploying employee volunteers to plant trees on any Saturday of the annual caravan.

The REFORESTATION CARAVAN ROADMAP.

The caravan will run for 15 Saturdays from June 19 to September 25. For the entire caravan, PBSP targets to plant more than 300,000 tree seedlings in 124 hectares.

PLDT-SMART, San Miguel Corporation, Jollibee Foods Corporation-Vismin, Cebu Daily News, Punongbayan and Araullo, Qualfon Philippines, Inc., Primary Structures Corporation, Lexmark International Philippines Inc., TMX Philippines Inc., East Asia Utilities Corporation, Asiatown IT Park, Airlift Asia, Inc., Fooda Saversmart, Cebu Energy Development Corporation, Cebu Private Power Corporation and Cebu Microelectronics Inc. are among the companies that will take part in the event.

Other companies that are slated to plant tree seedlings on any scheduled Saturday are NKC Manufacturing Philippines Corporation, Dumaguete City Development Bank, Lear Corporation, Cebu Dynamic Youth, MSM Cebu, Inc., Taiyo Yuden Philippines, Inc., Vivant Corporation, and Visayan Electric Company, Inc. (VECO).

PBSP still invites companies and individuals to book a Saturday and help Cebu's environment. A hectare for reforestation costs P40,000.00 inclusive of maintenance and replanting of tree seedlings.

Companies may also send their employees to help PBSP in planting trees.

For inquiries and details, interested corporate sponsors or individuals may contact Malu Largo at 2325270 or 2325238 or email mblargo@pbsp.org.ph/malu.b.largo@gmail.com.

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The catmon tree is one of the indigenous trees in the Philippines. 


It is said that the town of Catmon is named after this tree, which used to grow abundant in the area.