Engaged Lovers Not Allowed To Marry In Itogon, Benguet Unless They Plant At Least 5 Trees

If there is such a thing as a "green marriage", this could be it. The town of Itogon in Benguet has come up with a unique resolution which requires couples to plant at least 5 trees before they can be allowed to marry. Failure to comply means you're not getting your marriage license.

The municipal council and Victorio Palangdan, mayor of the town, gave the resolution their full support.

As to where the couples should plant the trees, they have several options. They can plant them on idle or vacant public lands, on municipal parks, on their own backyards, or on private lands provided that they were given consent by the owners of said lands.

Tree seedlings can be acquired from the barangay council, the municipal agricultural office, or from the provincial/regional offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Agriculture.

Photo by Daniel Feliciano / The Cordilleran Sun.

After planting the trees, the couple will then have to get a certificate of compliance from the barangay captain. They need to present the certificate (along with the other requirements in the issuance of a marriage license) to the Civil Registrar's Office.

Needless to say, this is a resolution that should be copied by other towns in Benguet given the fact that mountains and hills in the province continue to lose their forest covers in alarming rates.

The city of Baguio also needs to adapt the resolution. The city's status as a tourist destination depends a lot on its green cover.