STAKEHOLDERS of the Annual Million Trees Challenge (AMTC) affirmed their commitment to plant a million trees this year to meet its 5-million trees goal in 5 years.
The group issued a statement as the country marks the Philippine Environment Month.
Launched four years ago in February 2017 by Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Chairman and Acting Administrator Reynaldo V. Velasco, the AMTC appears to be on the right track.
Over 4 million trees have been planted in the identified denuded areas of the watersheds. About 9,509.375 hectares of watersheds in Angat, Ipo, Kaliwa, La Mesa, Laguna Lake, Umiray, and Upper Marikina, including Manila Bay have been reforested based on an audit report by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“One of the remarkable accomplishments of AMTC is increasing the forest cover of Ipo Watershed from 43 percent in 2017 to 81 percent in 2020,” Velasco said in a news statement, adding that “sustainable nurturing of sapling trees planted take three years to maintain and sustain.”
For this year, the following AMTC partner stakeholders have pledged to plant more than one million trees namely: MWSS (140,000); MWSS-Regulatory Office (23,000); Manila Water (70,000); Maynilad (20,000); Bulacan Bulk Water (20,000); DENR 3 (43,000); DENR 4A-Rizal (350,000); Laguna Lake Development Authority (100,000); Camp Nakar local government unit (50,000); ALKFI-BL (40,000); WWF Philippines (60,000); Boy Scout of the Philippines (50,000); Bambuhay- Anak ni Inang Daigdig (60,000); JCI Senate Philippines (2,000); and, Rotary International District 3780 (5,000).
The AMTC is a five-year watershed rehabilitation program of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) to restore the health of seven critical watersheds that are crucial in supplying water to Metro Manila and neighboring provinces. It also supports the National Greening Program of the government under the DENR.
Image courtesy of Nonie Reyes
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