23 May 2017, Hagonoy, Bulacan. “Be aware, act, and believe in what you do” is the challenge posed to us by a fellow Hagonoy resident and president of the Hagonoy Fish Farmers Producers Cooperative (HFFPC), Mr Vic Cruz, in a conversation with One Child, One Tree volunteer Jan Philip Cabrera. He has inspired us even more to continue with our Mangrove Reforestation Project in Hagonoy.
The project is jointly implemented by FEED, Inc. and One Child, One Tree. It is a research-based and community-based project which will engage barangay leaders, school teachers, children and parents in Tibaguin. It will raise people’s awareness on the value of mangroves and encourage them to propagate and protect them.
We are now planning the development of the mangrove nursery in Tibaguin Elementary School which will be a source of continuous supply of mangroves for outplanting and will be maintained by community volunteers.
Catherine Bustos Usi, another One Child, One Tree volunteer and Philip met with Tibaguin Barangay Chair Cesar Aranas, Kagawad Rica Loreto, school teachers and community leaders on May 17 to start planning the nursery development. It also coincided with the Brigada Eskwela where parents and volunteers also planted mangroves in the school.
The nursery will be developed in July and Mr Cruz has agreed to help us kick-start it with a donation of 1000 seedlings. He further said:
“Kumilos na tayo hindi para sa ngayon, kundi para sa hinaharap. Ang kinabukasan ng mundo ay nakasalalay sa ating mga kamay ngayon” (Let us act now not for today’s but for tomorrow’s future of the world which lies in our hands)
We at FEED and ONE CHILD, ONE TREE are aware of the big things we can accomplish to protect our environment. Indeed, we know; we act; and we believe in what we do.
What began with one tee-planting request from one Philippine professional based in London, cascaded into a full blown community effort to restore the mangrove forests and connected livelihoods of the fisherfolk and other stakeholders of the community along Bulacan’s coastline.
The people of Bulacan, the seat of the first Philippine Republic*, are coming together as One Community. From One Child, One Tree to One Community!
If you share the same vision, let us know. We are always looking for partners. We have only one world and we must share the task of protecting it.
*The Philippine Republic more commonly known as the First Philippine Republic or the Malolos Republic, was a nascent revolutionary government in the Philippines. It was formally established with the proclamation of the Malolos Constitution on January 23, 1899, in Malolos, Bulacan.
Related Articles/Links
- ONE CHILD, ONE TREE Project (FEED Article)
- ONE CHILD, ONE TREE (Facebook)
- Tibaguin Elementary School (Facebook)
- Founder of “One Child, One Tree” – Natalia Sali Becomes FEED Ambassador (FEED Article)
- 4000 Students Plant 800 Trees in 22 Hagonoy Public Schools to Tackle Climate Change: “One Child, One Tree” at a Time (FEED Article)
- Sowing the Seeds for Growth and Development: ONE CHILD, ONE TREE Project (FEED Article)
Contact Details
For more information, contact Natalia Sali – natalia@feed.org.ph. Or call +63 (0)917 552 4722/30 to reach out to FEED.
© FEED, Inc.