DENR shifts focus from planting to ensuring seedling survival

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is taking a step beyond initial planting, shifting its strategy to ensuring long-term seedling survival.

According to a statement on Thursday, the DENR made the strategy shift after exceeding its target of three million saplings to be distributed on Arbor Day last June 25, with 4.2 million saplings actually distributed nationwide.

At the end of this massive June 25 effort, the actual number of trees planted reached 1,673,572 seedlings, with the rest of the 4.2 million distributed saplings scheduled for planting this month of July.

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“This initiative aligns directly with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the DENR to take decisive actions to strengthen environmental protection, restore degraded ecosystems, and build more resilient communities,” Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said.

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According to Cuna, the initiative supports the president’s broader national mandate to integrate tree planting into flood-control and disaster mitigation projects.

“Beyond increasing forest cover, these greening efforts seek a whole-of-nation approach to help secure water resources, restore biodiversity, mitigate flooding and soil erosion, improve air quality, provide livelihoods, and strengthen the country’s resilience against the growing impacts of climate change,” Cuna explained.

Philippine Arbor Day, set by Republic Act No. 10176, serves as a nationwide call to action for environmental protection, forest restoration, and sustainable development.

First step towards ‘Luntiang Bukas’

The Arbor Day planting actually kicked off “Luntiang Bukas,” the DENR’s flagship campaign for green, clean, and climate-ready Filipino communities.

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The single-day activity saw the participation of 61,199 volunteers in 1,131 sites across the country, covering 2,347.23 hectares of diverse landscapes, from urban spaces to coastal ecosystems.

In his message to participants, Cuna emphasized that putting seedlings in the ground is only the first step under this new campaign, saying:

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“The true measure of Arbor Day goes beyond how many trees we plant today, but how many continue to grow years from now. A sapling survives only when people care for it. A forest thrives only when communities protect it. And environmental stewardship succeeds only when the government, local communities, schools, civil society organizations, and the private sector work together.”

To ensure long-term results, the DENR will set up a rigorous post-planting monitoring framework, under which local DENR offices, in partnership with local government units and the various sectors that adopted the planting sites, will shift efforts toward sustained watering and protection.

Relying on community support

According to the DENR, the success of this campaign relies heavily on local communities and the youth stepping up to take active ownership of these sites.

Following are the remarks of some participants in the campaign:

Marvin Duco, a youth volunteer from Samar, is well aware of the youth’s role: “I am encouraging the youth to join this kind of activity since it is really sustainable, and it will help us not only environmentally, but also socially and economically, and it will be utilized by future generations.”

Arnold Natividad, a laborer at the Parks Development Office of Manila City Hall: “We are happy that the trees we plant will help Manileños. We are planting for the future. Take care of what we and the DENR planted; do not destroy them because all of us will suffer. Trees are the first defense against floods and strong winds.”

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Randy Matibag, the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources officer of Dolores, Quezon: “It is important for us all, along with the volunteers, to care for them, to water them and make sure they live so that our efforts are not wasted. Let us take care of the environment for us and for everyone. If we don’t act now, the future generation will suffer. Let us show that during our time, during our watch, we did our share.” /atm