LINGAYEN, Pangasinan (PIA) – Around 30,000 seedlings of various trees are set to be planted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) employees this coming July in the mountainous areas of Barangay Mapita in Aguilar town.
 
Engr. Edita Manuel, the district engineer of DPWH Pangasinan Second District Engineering Office, said the tree planting complies with the tree-cutting permit issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which directs the implementing office to replace each cut tree with 50 seedlings.
 
“The tree planting is part of the tree replacement activity of DPWH that aims to replace those trees cut to pave the way for the road construction and widening projects of DPWH Pangasinan Second District Engineering Office,” Manuel said in an interview.
 
Manuel said the activity will not end with 30,000 seedlings but will be a continuous project of the department to replace the trees that were put down to give way to the department’s road widening and construction project.
 
“Unti-unti ang gagawin naming pagtatanim para masigurong hindi masasayang ang mga seedlings na itatanim kaya itinataon namin ang aktibidad kapag maulan na ang panahon,” she added.
 
“May memorandum of agreement (MOA) na po kami sa mga communities na nakakasakop sa lugar ng pagtataniman ng mga puno. May budget po ‘yan for three years para sila ang mag-alaga at magprotekta sa mga puno at para masiguro na lahat ng itatanim ay lalago at hindi mamatay,” she added.
 
Manuel said specific locations of the tree planting activities and tree species to be planted will be determined by the DENR.
 
Based on existing laws, tree planting activities are undertaken in open, degraded, and denuded forestlands, protected areas and mangroves, ancestral domain lands, and civil and military reservations among others. (JCR/AMB/EMSA/PIA Pangasinan)