-
Orlando Ravanera, regional director of the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) here said the tree planting activity was a manifestation that the cooperatives consider the environment one of its foremost social responsibilities.
Dave Pajaron, Manager of the Phil. Federation of Credit Cooperatives said this is the 10th year of conducting tree-planting activities every cooperative month. But Pajaron said this time they want to sustain it by having partnerships with communities who will nurture the planted trees.
The tree-planting activity Saturday was inside the Community-based Forest Management Agreement (CBFMA) area of the Sta. Cruz United Farmers Association (SCUFA) which is an active partner in rainforestation and sustainable agro-forestry project of the Centre for Alternative Rural Technology (CART), which is now developing a field laboratory on reforestation in the barangay.
Virgilio Acala, president of SCUFA said their organization will nurture the trees planted, adding they would be very glad if other socio-civic organizations come to their CBFMA areas for their tree planting activities "kay amo man gyud dayong areglahon ang mga tinanom nga kahoy" (because we will take care of the plants). He noted that past tree planting activities were unsuccessful because the trees after the activities were left to the forces of nature.