ILOILO – The provincial government is launching a province-wide tree planting convergence drive with adherence to social distancing protocols.
“Tanum Iloilo: Tree Planting with Social Distancing” will have its symbolic launching on June 25 in celebration of Arbor Day.
The massive tree planting program aims to plant 1.5 million trees a day, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.
“We want to show that we can proceed with life even with social distancing. That the programs that we have been implementing, we will continue to implement,” Defensor said.
Among those to be planted are the 100 seedlings of Iloilo tree donated by the Capiz provincial government to the province of Iloilo.
The endemic plant, known scientifically as Aglaia argentea, was named after the province of Iloilo.
A large number of this tree can be found in the mountains of Jamindan town in Capiz.
Capiz’s Gov. Esteban Contreras turned over the seedlings to Governor Defensor on June 10.
“We will also propagate it here. We will turn it over to the municipalities during the symbolic launching of Tanum Iloilo,” Defensor said.
The tree planting program will be participated by municipalities, barangays, national government agencies, non-government organizations, and the private sector, among others.
“We will implement laws, ordinances, administrative issuances, and resolutions relative to the environment, particularly on tree planting,” the governor said.
For his part, Governor Contreras said Iloilo province is the rightful owner of the Iloilo tree, which has helped Capiz in its One Million Trees in One Day Challenge in 2018.
“We are hoping that we can propagate this. We do hope that this will symbolize the commitment of Capiz and Iloilo in making our provinces, and probably the whole Panay Island become adaptive to climate change. We can make Panay become greener and more beautiful,” Contreras said.
ILOILO TREE
Jurgenne Primavera, chief mangrove scientific advisor of the Zoological Society of London-Philippines, said the Iloilo tree is unique since it is the only tree that was named after a place.
The tree was called “Iloilo” by a Catholic priest in 1840 as he observed that a lot were growing in the province.
The Iloilo tree can grow up to 30 meters tall and survive up to 100 years with proper care. Its leaves, which form into a rounded crown in a full-grown tree, have a silver underside.
But the trees’ population diminished due to the Ilonggos’ lack of awareness of its importance.
She said that although the tree is a native in the province of Iloilo, the species also grow in the forests of Jamindan, Capiz.
She advised the local government units to plant seedlings in an open space to allow its growth.
“What’s important is the nutrients it gets from the ground. The soil needs to have compost and organic matter. Although it is rainy season now, we should watch out and if there are some weeks without rain, the seedlings need to be watered,” Primavera said.
A tree guard should also be put around the seedling to protect it from any animal or human intervention. (LHC, Capitol News, PNA/PN)
