KBP, DILG lead
Eastern Visayas Oplan Broadcastreeing 2019
By
MYLES JOSEPH E. COLASITO
September 28, 2019
TACLOBAN CITY –
About 1,300 seedlings were planted by an estimated 600 volunteers
led by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and the
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the 2019
Oplan BroadcasTreeing Project held on September 28, 2019 in Barangay
98, Camansihay, Tacloban City.
The level and quality of
involvement of participants was an improvement from the previous
years, remarked Forester Jennifer Lamoste of the Community
Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Palo, Leyte.
“The activity this year was participated by more sectors and many
closely followed the instructions on how to plant the seedlings
properly,” she said.
The seedlings consisted of
1,000 Yakal, Bayok and Bunglas varieties from DENR Regional Office,
200 similar hardwood seedlings from CENRO Palo and 100 Pili
seedlings from Department of Agriculture Regional Office.
A short program preceded
the tree planting to ensure that participants understood and
appreciated the importance of ensuring that the seedlings would
survive. Punong Barangay Alejandro Reataza Jr. in his welcome
remarks thanked participants for helping populate the hilly forest
in their barangay.
On the other hand, the
messages from DILG-8 Regional Director Artemio Cañeja, KBP Eastern
Visayas Chairman Danilo Requiez, DMO III Alexander Casco
(representing DENR Regional Director Atty. Crizaldy Barcelo) and
Camansihay Upland Developers Association (CUDA) President Adam
Esmerez centered on the need for sustained aftercare as part of the
shift toward tree growing.
KBP Member stations that
were represented include DYDR/PRTV 12 Tacloban; DYVL Aksyon Radyo;
RMN Tacloban; Bombo Radyo Tacloban; DYTM Love Radio; DYCJ One FM;
Magik FM; IBC-6/DYMP; DYFE FM; ABS-CBN Channel 2 Tacloban and MOR
Tacloban.
Groups which joined this
year’s Oplan Broadcastreeing included the Philippine National Police
Regional Office; Tacloban City Police Office; DENR Regional and
CENRO-Palo offices; DILG Region 8; Department of Agriculture; 93rd
Infantry Battalion and Army 546th Engineering Construction Battalion
both under the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army; Police
officers undergoing the Officers Basic Course of the Philippine
Public Safety College; Philippine Information Agency; Bureau of Fire
Protection; Junior Jaycees; Tau Gamma Phi; University of the
Philippines Runggiyan; Alpha Phi Omega; Philippine Red Cross;
barangay officials and residents of Barangay 98 Camansihay, Tacloban;
Leyte Province; CUDA; TACRU; Leo Club; Kilusang Pagbabago Tacloban;
RADNET 5; Tacloban City Government and Alpha Mu Omega.
Oplan Broadcastreeing owes
its start to a 2011 Memorandum of Agreement between KBP and DILG to
support the National Greening Program. Since then, over 36,000 trees
have been planted in Eastern Visayas through the activity. Oplan
Broadcastreeing has been held annually in the region except in 2014,
the year after Typhoon Yolanda struck.