August 27, 2020, Laguna Quezon Land Grant, Siniloan, Laguna – Sierra Madre Mountain Range. Despite the ongoing pandemic worldwide, Martinez Ricafort remained committed to sponsoring one of FEED’s Living Legacy Climate Change Action Programs as a gift to their client Calabanga Renewable Energy (CARE), Inc. and as a part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program. The community-based planting involved 500 native Philippine forest trees planted on the 9,000 hectare protected forest reserve in Siniloan, Laguna designed to mitigate the effects of climate change and protect the watershed also against storms.
It is especially during crises, such as the recent (January 2020) eruption of Taal Volcano and now the Covid-19 pandemic, that upland forestry – up to and including lowland coastal and fishing – communities feel the drastic effects of withdrawn, delayed or postponed CSR plantings, private sector and even government support. So it is with big hearts that we express our gratitude to organizations who persist in contributing to the environment so that:
- FEED and partners are able to continue our reforestation efforts, being an agro-forestry focused organization;
- We can provide alternative livelihood support thanks in large part to the commitment and staying power of permanent forest and sea guardians at FEED’s planting sites; and, as important,
- We are able to respond to the authentic desire expressed by Martinez Ricafort‘s leadership team, who exhibited no hesitation just all-out passion to plan their support of sustainable and community-based forestry to help both the environment and the local families involved.
The 500 native Philippine agro-forestry trees planted included: 200 White Lauan,
200 Malaruhat, 50 Balobo and 50 Bani, all sourced from the local nursery stock within the LQLG managed by 25 permanent forest guardians.
The local forest guardians involved in this planting, from seedling and site preparation, to transport of seedlings and planting, were: Renato Q. Dagumboy, Teotimo B. Argete, Lauro G. Rizaldo, Deraño G. Alawas, Armando L. Atip, Senando C. Velina, Maria Salipot, and Shirley Matin-ao.
Thank you to Martinez Ricafort, May the Forest Be With You All & Always!
Photo Gallery of the Planting in Sierra Madres
GPS COORDINATES
Use any GPS (Global Positioning System) software / applications to input the latitude and longitude coordinates to be able to remotely see the location of your trees planted. Some examples include:
Martinez Ricafort Planting at Laguna Quezon Land Grant, Siniloan, Laguna. Coordinates: 14 28’35.87”N 121 31’22.02”E
About the Laguna Quezon Land Grant
Laguna Quezon Land Grant suffered from deforestation, slash and burn for agricultural development, charcoal making and human settlements. In the early 1990s, FEED and the University of the Philippines carried out reforestation efforts with the Armed Forces of the Philippines under the FEED-coined “Living Legacy: Plant a Tree, FEED our Future” program to address the issue of deforestation. In time, with growing interest from the private sector, government and the public at large, FEED developed its Climate Change Action Programs to address the also rapidly increasing CSR and volunteer movements addressing environmental conservation, ensuring community-based Ridge to Reef reforestation approach in order to also provide alternative livelihood opportunities for surrounding villages.
Long term survival is as critical as tree-planting is to sustainable reforestation programs, which is why all FEED plantings aim to achieve and have so far sustained survival rates of at least 85 percent of all species planted, making sure they thrive for future generations too.
The Laguna-Quezon Land Grant covers a 6,765-hectare property acquired by the UPLB by virtue of Republic Act 3608 of 1930, forming the larger part adjacent to the Laguna Land Grant in Paete, Laguna. Reforestation and biodiversity conservation remain the core focus of both land grants 90 years after its establishment, since majority of the remaining forest cover of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range is home to a last bastion for many species that have become endangered in other parts of the country.
The Sierra Madres span 690 km (430 miles) and is the longest mountain range in the Philippines. Through the north-south direction from Santa Ana in the province of Cagayan to the north and Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon to the south, the mountains form the eastern backbone of Luzon Island.
About Martinez Ricafort
Martinez Ricafort delivers legal services and creative solutions that adapt to the changing needs of the times, while maintaining the highest professional standards, a strong work ethic, and a humanized perspective of law.
For more details, visit: https://martinezricafort.com/contact/
NATURE IS SPEAKING (Narrated by Julia Roberts)
What can I do to stop climate change?
“As the world warms, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense, sea levels are rising, prolonged droughts are putting pressure on food crops, and many animal and plant species are being driven to extinction. It’s hard to imagine what we as individuals can do to resolve a problem of this scale and severity.
The good news: We are not alone. People, communities, cities, businesses, schools, faith groups and other organizations are taking action. We’re fighting like our lives depend on it — because they do.
In a world of more than seven billion people, each of us is a drop in the bucket. But with enough drops, we can fill any bucket.” – David Suzuki
Check out some of the ways you can take more climate change action.
For example, Climate Action groups are the local solution to a global crisis. Right now people just like you are coming together to develop practical, local solutions and make their towns and cities more climate-friendly. Are you ready to join them? Find out what’s happening near you.
More here: https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate-change/what-can-I-do-to-stop-climate-change
Contact FEED
In 2015, the Philippine government submitted to the United Nations the country’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The country committed to reduce its carbon emissions by 70 percent by 2030. The carbon dioxide reductions will come from the sectors of energy, transport, waste, forestry and industry.
Join us! Help us reverse the Earth’s “hothouse climate” tipping point.
Tree-Planting with FEED
Contact us at FEED for more details, to join our regular activities or to design your own tree-nurturing event: info@feed.org.ph or call/text +63 (0)917 552 4722.
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