The Country Where Students Must Plant 10 Trees To Graduate
By Katie Hill
High school and college students in the Philippines will soon have to plant 10 trees each before they can graduate.
The trees can be planted in forests, mangroves reserves, urban areas, abandoned mining sites or other suitable land, according to the bill which was passed by the Philippine Congress earlier this month.
It’s hoped that 175 million trees will be planted within a year.
“In the course of one generation, no less than 525 billion can be planted under this initiative,” co-author of the bill, Gary Alejano, wrote.
“Even with a survival rate of only 10 percent, this would mean an additional 525 million trees would be available for the youth to enjoy, when they assume the mantle of leadership in the future.”
Ultimately, the trees will become the student’s legacy.
The only limitation is that the species being placed in the ground must be appropriate to each location, climate and topography.
Government agencies will be responsible for establishing nurseries, seedling production and monitoring, but ultimately sewing the seeds is up to each student.
The Philippines is one of the most severely deforested countries in the tropics, with the country losing roughly 47,000 hectares of forest cover every year.
The move follows other recent environmental initiatives in the country — such as using banana leaves instead of single-use plastic in supermarkets.
The government hopes the initiative will inspire future generations to be proactive in regards to the environment and combating deforestation, and hopes the law will encourage more ecological action.
Source: 10 Daily