Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Nature Lovers Of Baguio And Benguet, This One's For You

A month ago, we participated in a tree planting activity at Mt. Kabuyao in Tuba, Benguet. Dubbed Reforest The Road, the event aimed to reclaim portions of the forest that were destroyed because of an allegedly illegal road project. Hundreds of pine tree and coffee seedlings were planted that day. Participants in the event came from all walks of life - policemen, religious groups, folks from the media and private individuals. Needless to say, it was a productive day.

This coming Sunday (August 31), another tree planting activity is scheduled at the same site by the same organization that came up with the first one. The Cordillera Conservation Trust will be providing the seedlings to be planted at the destroyed forest. Everyone is invited to join the event. Assembly area will be at the Kabuyao Elementary School at 7:00 am. Bring with you your digging tools. Getting to the planting area will require a bit of hiking so it's recommended that you bring enough water and snacks with you.

Below is a picture of two young cows that live near the creek at the base of the river. They will greatly benefit from the trees to be planted at the destroyed forest above them. Their survival will depend on how the citizens of Baguio and Benguet protect and preserve the forest they are living in.

Photo by cordilleransun.com
If you can recall, the destruction in Mt. Kabuyao (hundreds of trees were cut and huge portions of the mountain were excavated) happened a couple of months ago. No other than Baguio City congressman Nicasio Aliping Jr. has been tagged in the environmental atrocity. As of this writing, the cases filed against the solon seem to be stuck and not proceeding anywhere.

The chatter around what happened in Mt. Kabuyao has dwindled in recent weeks. This is why it's great that the Cordillera Conservation Trust is organizing another tree planting activity to be held there. This not only helps in rehabilitating the area, it also redirects people's attention to the damage done to the forest there. We won't forget what transpired there, will we? Visit the CCT's Facebook page for the latest updates on the upcoming tree planting event.