MANILA, January 20, 2013-Senator Loren Legarda will open the “Tungo sa Isang Luntiang Pilipinas: Best School Forest Park Program” exhibit at the Philippine Senate tomorrow, January 21.
“With this exhibit, we wish to celebrate the success of the project, the regional winners, the grand winners, and all those who participated. We have taken a huge step in helping young people value tree-growing and the environment in general. I encourage all other schools, including private universities and learning institutions, to create forest parks within their communities,” she said.
The program's finalists, led by the grand winner Cauayan City National High School, were judged on the sustainability of the forest park, creativity and aesthetics, the number of trees or seedlings planted based on size of site, and community involvement in planning and supervision of the forest park.
“We thank the partner agencies of Luntiang Pilipinas, namely the Department of Education, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and the Department of Agriculture along with the Bureau of Plant Industry, for the success of the Best Forest School Park program,” Legarda said.
Legarda established Luntiang Pilipinas as an urban greening program in 1998, through which two million trees have been planted in more than 500 hectares across the country. She also co-authored the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008.
“The Best School Forest Park program is a very good opportunity to engage a younger audience in environmental protection. Trees are essential and crucial to our survival, especially during these times when flood, drought and pollution often bring harm to our communities. We must take full advantage of this opportunity to educate schoolchildren nationwide about the importance of trees, and inculcate in them the love for our environment,” Legarda concluded.
