BAGUIO CITY – City environment and parks management officer Cordelia Lacsamana will chair the Pine Tree Festival Committee recently created by acting mayor, vice mayor Edison Bilog.
Sangguniang panlungsod committee chair on health and sanitation, ecology and environmental protection councilor Elaine Sembrano will be the co-chair of the said committee.
Members include representative of the lone district of Baguio; city tourism officer; public information officer; budget officer; president of the liga ng mga barangay; representative from the Baguio Re-greening Movement, Alay sa Kalinisan, Inc., Baguio Water District, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Education, private schools, Regional Multi-Environment and Natural Resources Protection Committee and three representatives from the private sector.
The committee will formulate the necessary guidelines as well as the schedule of activities for the Pine Tree Festival.
“The city of Baguio has declared the months of June, July and September of each year as “Tree Planting Months” or more popularly known as “Pine Tree Festival” to instill awareness among the people on the present state of the environment, the importance or pine trees, and all laws, issuances, ordinances and policies,” said Bilog.
“Citizens of the city of Baguio from all walks of life are urged to participate in the tree planting and tree nurturing activities as well as concerned government and private agencies to share in the advocacy programs concerning pine trees, tree planting and tree nurturing activities,” added Bilog.
Meanwhile, under Executive Order No. 26, series of 2011, “All students, identified by the Department of Education and CHED and all government employees shall be individually required to plant a minimum of ten seedlings per pear in areas determined by the Convergence Initiative. Private sectors and civil society groups shall likewise be encouraged to participate in the NGP”. /Jho Arranz