The Trees for Unity Campaign by Governor Aris Aumentado was one of the highlights of his State of the Provincial Address (SOPA) under Environmental Sustainability of the Strategic Change Agenda.
Aumentado, who gave his first SOPA on July 22, 2023, at the Bohol Cultural Center, said the Trees for Unity Campaign is one of his salient environmental programs to reforest Bohol after the devastating impact caused by Typhoon Odette in 2021.
A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signed by Aumentado with 24 partners from National Government Agencies, People’s organizations, the Academe, Local Government Units, Civic organizations, religious groups, and private sectors to formally launch the Trees for Unity Program last September 28, 2022.
Before the MOA, the Trees for Unity Program had already started its advocacy on September 9, 2022, through a tree-growing activity at Brgy. San Vicente, Ubay. 430 participants partook in the event, with 2500 native tree seedlings planted in the 2.5-hectare area.
Since then, the Trees for Unity Program has conducted various tree-growing activities in Bohol, reforesting upland or coastal areas devastated by natural hazards and unregulated activities like illegal logging.
According to a report from the Bohol Provincial Environment Management Office (BPEMO), the campaign planted 21, 211 assorted mangrove seedlings in coastal areas and 10,300 upland seedlings since the MOA and is being closely monitored by their office to assure their growth.
More activities, under the Trees for Unity, will be conducted this year. This is part of PGBh’s goal to be the first regenerative UNESCO-designated Global Geopark in the world that creates environmentally sound programs, revitalizing the province’s natural resources through regenerative development.