Philippine Stock Exchange Plants for 7th Time in Sierra Madres

18 May 2024, UP Laguna Quezon Land Grant, Siniloan, Laguna. The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) conducted their 8th tree planting at the UP Laguna Quezon land Grant, in a dedicated effort to promote environmental sustainability by adding 400 native Philippine forest to the Sierra Madre Mountain Range: 250 marang, 50 balitbitan, and 100 lipote.

We started the program with a welcome briefing to familiarise the participants with FEED’s Ridge to REEForestation (R2R) approach (adopted from the IUCN): “The R2R approach is a ‘‘whole-of-ecosystem’ or integrated management approach.  In Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS), Ridge to Reef refers to integrated approaches to freshwater and coastal area management emphasizing the inter-connections between the natural and social systems from the mountain ‘ridges’ of volcanic islands, through coastal watersheds and habitats, and across coastal lagoons to the fringing ‘reef’ environments associated with most PSIDS.

Given the close inter-connections between land, water and coastal systems in PSIDS, the integration of freshwater watershed management with coastal area management is essential to foster effective cross-sectoral coordination in the planning and management of land, water and coastal uses.

Inherent in the Ridge to Reef approach is the philosophy of cross-sectoral coordination in the planning and management of freshwater use, sanitation, wastewater treatment and pollution control, sustainable land use and forestry practices, balancing coastal livelihoods and biodiversity conservation, hazard risk reduction, and climate variability and change…”.

Source: https://www.pacific-r2r.org/help/faq/what-ridge-reef

Following the technical briefing, we proceeded to warm up at the camp site, then proceeded to a 45 minute relax forest immersion trek up to PSE’s planting site, to complete the planting of 400 trees after receiving a demonstration on how to debag the seedling, plant straight and up to root collar, and compacting of soil to ensure a firm positing in the already prepared holes, dug out by trained forest guards prior to planting.

Forest rangers who assisted the program included:  Randy Velina Elmer Dayandante, Allan Libarnes, Jomer Balino, Rose Bocado, Teofilo Breganza, Shermae Canzana and Eric Veribi.

After quality control, we returned along the forest trail up to the Katmon Orchard to regather and rehydrate prior to heading to base camp, where the native chicken adobo binalot was prepared also by the local community cooks, as part of their alternative livelihood program,

Congratulations again to PSE for your continued patronage as CSR Patrons of Education and the Environment since 2021!

May the Forest Always Be With You ~ Earth Keepers!

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GPS Coordinates of Planting Site

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:

Empowering Communities: The Latest in Community-Based Forestry in the Philippines

In the Philippines, community-based forestry (CBF) has emerged as a powerful tool for both conservation and sustainable development. Empowering local communities to become stewards of their forests, CBF initiatives have gained momentum in recent years, bringing about positive changes in forest management practices and enhancing the well-being of forest-dependent communities. Here’s an update on the latest developments in community-based forestry across the archipelago.

Strengthening Local Governance
One of the key advancements in community-based forestry in the Philippines is the strengthening of local governance structures. Through devolved forest management agreements and community-based forest management agreements (CBFMA), indigenous peoples and local communities are granted rights to manage and protect forest resources within their ancestral domains or designated areas. This decentralization of forest governance empowers communities to make decisions that are aligned with their cultural values and socio-economic priorities.

Promoting Sustainable Livelihoods
CBF initiatives in the Philippines prioritize the promotion of sustainable livelihoods for forest-dependent communities. By diversifying income-generating activities such as agroforestry, eco-tourism, non-timber forest product (NTFP) harvesting, and community-based enterprises, CBF not only reduces dependence on forest resources but also improves socio-economic resilience. These initiatives are often complemented by capacity-building programs and technical assistance to enhance the skills and knowledge of community members.

Enhancing Ecosystem Resilience
In addition to socio-economic benefits, community-based forestry contributes to the conservation and restoration of forest ecosystems. By implementing sustainable forest management practices, including reforestation, watershed protection, and biodiversity conservation measures, communities play a vital role in enhancing ecosystem resilience and mitigating the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, indigenous knowledge and traditional practices are integrated into forest management plans, ensuring the preservation of cultural heritage and biological diversity.

Challenges and Opportunities
Despite the progress made, community-based forestry in the Philippines still faces challenges such as limited access to resources, insecure land tenure, conflicting land uses, and inadequate support from government agencies. However, there are also opportunities for innovation and collaboration. Strengthening partnerships between government, civil society, academia, and the private sector can help address these challenges and scale up successful CBF models.

Looking Ahead
As we look to the future, community-based forestry holds immense potential for fostering sustainable development and environmental stewardship in the Philippines. By recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, promoting participatory decision-making processes, and integrating traditional knowledge with modern science, CBF can pave the way for inclusive and resilient forest management practices that benefit both people and the planet.

Community-based forestry is not just about managing forests; it’s about nurturing relationships between people and nature, fostering a sense of belonging, and building a brighter future for generations to come.

References:

  1. DENR. (Department of Environment and Natural Resources). (2022). Community-Based Forest Management.
  2. World Agroforestry (ICRAF). (2022). Community-Based Forest Management in the Philippines.
  3. USAID Philippines. (2022). Philippines Sustainable Forest Management Project.
    Catholic Relief Services (CRS). (2022). Community-Based Forest Management.

On Carbon Sequestration and Planting

Storing carbon is only one of the ways that trees could affect climate, says Cat Scott, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Leeds in England who was not involved in the research. Just how these other factors play off each other is not yet clear. She and colleagues have developed computer simulations of trees contributing to cooling a landscape by releasing airborne molecules that invite clouds to form.

Even something as simple as the darkness of tree leaves can change how much heat a landscape absorbs or reflects. Expanding forests into formerly snow-bright, reflective zones, for instance, might warm them. In the tropics, however, the enhanced cooling from clouds might be the more powerful effect.

Ultimately, in the struggle against climate change, such heroic tree planting merely “buys us time,” says study coauthor Jean-François Bastin, also an ecologist at ETH Zurich. But that’s time human societies could use to stop emitting greenhouse gases, the real solution to climate change, he says.

Source: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/planting-trees-could-buy-more-time-fight-climate-change-thought

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.

SAVE Program of FEED, Inc. Philippines

FEED runs a number of Students and Volunteers for the Environment (SAVE); Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) – such as mangrove planting for coastal protection or ridge reforestation plantings; One Child, One Tree; Bio-Intensive Gardens (BIG) for nutrition in public elementary schools and other spaces; Climate Change Survival 101 and other LIVING LEGACY programs – customised environmental engagement activities for individuals and organisations interested in contributing to climate change adaptation efforts and greening critical areas such as watersheds, ridges, and reefs that all require rehabilitation.

Join us!  Help us reverse the Earth’s “hothouse climate” tipping point.

Tree-Planting with FEED

Check out the video journey by Clueless Commuter who planted with us last 24th of June 2017 to get a good idea of how FEED plantings go: https://youtu.be/KROn4rjVqBg

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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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