SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) – The Police Regional Office 1’s (PRO1) Highway Patrol Group (HPG) is doing its share to address global warming and climate change.

The PRO1 HPG, in partnership with the local government unit (LGU) of Bauang and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office-La Union, conducted a tree planting activity on September 28 at the Bakawan Eco-Tourism Park in Bauang town.

This greening initiative, which was anchored on the theme “Highway Patrol Group, Kakampi ng Kalikasan,” was aimed at gaining the cooperation of all government units and other agencies to attain a genuine purpose of unity in all aspects of public service that will benefit the community in addressing calamities that endanger the lives of the people in the town and in La Union.

Uniformed personnel and advocacy support group foresters planted 1,000 seedlings of beach-type trees such as bani and umbrella trees during the event. 

In his message, PCOL Rommel Estelano, chief of the Regional Highway Patrol Unit 1, said that the HPG upholds the significance of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) core value of "makakalikasan” and vowed to continuously empower its personnel in preserving and protecting the environment.

“Alam po natin na ang kalikasan ang ating panlaban kung merong mga sakuna gaya ng bagyo, storm surge o kung anumang delubyong darating sa lugar na ito,” Estelano said.

Meanwhile, Bauang Mayor Eulogio Martin de Guzman III said that planting trees is not just to achieve sustainability, but also regeneration.

“Once you come here and plant a tree, we're not just going to sustain the tree, but we're going to make it better, not just the environment, but the people themselves, because the people are important here,” Mayor De Guzman said. 

Prior to the tree planting activity, a memorandum of agreement was signed by the HPG and LGU-Bauang for a stronger partnership on environmental protection.

Under the agreement, the PRO1-HPG will adopt one hectare of a National Greening Program site at the eco-park through the conduct of tree-planting activities. 

“Ang inadopt po naming one hectare ay aming babalik-balikan to the extent na makagawa tayo ng mini-forest,” said Estelano.

Personnel from the La Union Police Provincial Office, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Philippine Eagle Motorcycle Club, residents from Barangays Parian Oeste and Pudoc also participated in the said endeavor. (JCR/AMB/KJCR, PIA La Union)