DSA spearheads tree planting

LET THE SEEDLINGS GROW --- Shown planting a Mahogany tree seedling (R-L) are Civil-Military Officerr Lt. Glenn Paul Foronda of the 1st Mechanized Battalion, DSA Mayor Bai Anida A. Dimaukom, Liga ng mga Barangay president and Barangay Elian chair Anwar Kedtag, and MSWO Naphisa Pangandaman. (DSA-LGU)

DATU SAUDI AMPATUAN (DSA), Maguindanao ---  The municipal government of this town led a tree planting activity last November 23  in Barangay Salbu, particularly around the  municipal compound, to further push the government’s program of caring and preserving the country’s ecosystem in this part of Mindanao.

Mayor Hadja Bai Anida A. Dimaukom said the environmental care project is a joint partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao through representation of the  Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office headed  by Naphisa Pangandaman.

The tree planting activity, the mayor said, is tuning up the advocacy of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as lead agency under the program “Save Our Mother Earth” with the local government unit as support agency in the community level.

Further, she said, the activity as is a way of illuminating the symbol of peace and unity in the fight against  threats and destabilization.

Mayor Dimaukom emphasized that  the greening program is a mitigating measure against soil erosion and the subsequent heavy flooding and global warming in general, thus,  “reducing high heat index in the long run.”

She further said the tree planting would also protect the watershed area.  “Aside from that, trees provide  an additional attraction and bring us fresh air in the community… This  is also for our future generation for them to realize the importance of trees in our life.”

She said the tree planting activity in the town is also a collaboration among different line- agencies: Philippine National Police  led by DSA chief of police InspectorAbdulbasit Kulod, Armed Forces of the Philippine  led by Lt. Col. James Fernando of the 1st Mechanized Battalion, and Lt. Col. Robert Gener of the 57th Infantry Battalion together with the LGU staff and employees, and barangay chairmen and officials headed by Liga ng mga Barangay  pesident Anwar Q.Kedtag.

 Municipal Assistant Social Welfare Officer Jojo Durado said they planted  some 150 mahogany seedlings around the municipal compound, adding: “This is the first time that the Department of Social Welfare and Development has initiated the tree planting activity and this locality has been chosen as its pilot project.”

He said the second batch of tree planting activity will follow in other barangays.

Durado further said they have set the second and third  week of December for their clean-up drive against  dengue-carrier mosquitoes  and other harmful insects on susceptible areas to protect the town folks from insect-borne diseases. This is supportive to the anti-dengue drive of the Department of Health. (Anne Acosta)