Church bells will ring and sirens will sound for 10 seconds before the
participants will occupy their respective places in the chain, Tumaliuan
said.
He said 63,966 seedlings will be planted along 267 kilometers of the
region’s major roads.
Police Supt. Joselito Fernandez, regional community relations chief, said
around 2,000 policemen would be deployed along the highways to provide
security to the participants.
Tumaliuan said the activity is a nationwide synchronized tree planting
activity along the country's three major highways covering 3,439 kilometers.
Around 500,000 seedlings will be needed to be able to plant both sides of
the highways at an interval of 10 meters.
Tumaliuan added the activity is the first of its kind to cover the entire
length of the 2,176-km. Pan-Philippine Highway (Laoag City-Cagayan de Oro
City-Caraga region-Davao City); 439-km. Manila North Road (Laoag City-La
Union-Bulacan); and the 824-km. West Nautical Highway (Batangas City-Mindoro-
Aklan-Negros Oriental-Zamboanga and Sibugay).
Earlier, Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes explained that the importance of
planting trees as 50 million trees have to be planted to restore the quality
of air in the country.
He said 70 percent of air pollution comes from motor vehicles and the
remaining 30 percent from fuel-burning, fixed facilities and other sources.
“The Philippines is said to have the second most polluted air among eight
Asean nations according to the Time Magazine report,” Reyes said during his
visit to Butuan for the launching of the project last August 10.
Tumaliuan cited that at least 10 trees are needed to absorb the carbon
emissions of a single motor vehicle.
