Philippines has recently established a new law by which every student must plant 10 trees before they are allowed to graduate. This applies to all students from elementary school up to a college level.
It’s A Law?
The bill is called the ‘Graduation Legacy For the Environment Act’. It was approved in the House and is now waiting for action from the Philippines Senate. Through the law, Filipino youths have the opportunity to fight against the climate crisis. Planting trees allows for a greener environment that the whole country can benefit from.
The House bill states “The educational system shall be a locus for propagating ethical and sustainable use of natural resources among the young to ensure the cultivation of a socially-responsible and conscious citizenry.” Representative Gary Alejano is the author of the bill.
What Could Be The Benefits?
He estimates that through this bill, 525 billion trees will be planted over the course of just one generation. There are more than 12 million students graduating from just elementary school each year. High school graduates contribute about 5 million students, while the college level will see roughly 500,000 graduates. This all equals to 175 million trees being planted a year.
Some Details
The trees should be planted in forests, mangroves and protected areas, and ancestral domains. Furthermore, civil and military reservations, urban areas, inactive and abandoned mine sites, as well as other suitable lands will see new trees.
Indigenous species of plants matching the climate and topography of each area will be prioritised for planting. Internal agencies within the government will be assisting in various processes of this law. This includes establishing nurseries, production of seedlings, identification of sites, monitoring and evaluating, as well as technical help.
Having trees being planted on such a scale will help with the fight against deforestation. This issue is the primary environmental issue that the Philippines is facing. Most of this is due to development and agriculture.
Requiring students to plant trees before graduating will definitely benefit the country on multiple levels. It will also teach the younger generation the importance of taking care of the environment. There must always be a balance with Mother Nature and this bill will help leave a good impact.
