DENR: We need to plant 2.5 M trees to lessen ill effects of gas and diesel fuel

By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
April 3, 2008

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Executive Director 08 Alfredo Pascual said that the country needs to plant 2.5 M trees to lessen ill effects of gas and diesel fuel.

During the Earth Day Caravan ‘lunch-drop’ at Catbalogan City Hall, Pascual lauded the LGUs of Catbalogan, Basey, Hinabangan and Calbayog as ardent supporters of environmental programs.

Pascual in his message said that they are trying to strengthen partnership with the LGUs as they are becoming active partners in preserving the remaining natural resources in the region.

He added that Region 08 is very lucky as it still enjoys the benefits of the remaining natural resources. The DENR official said he has been assigned to several regions and only in Eastern Visayas did he find rich and lush natural born trees untouched yet.

“In Ilocos, the climate is intolerable,” RED Pascual admitted.

He then talked of the ill effects of man’s activities that tend to degrade our environment. He said that we are burning so much fossil fuel that we need to plant ten trees to absorb the gas emitted by one vehicle alone.

He praised Catbalogan’s ‘pedicabs‘ that abound as not hazardous.

The DENR boss reiterated that we need to plant some 2.5 million trees a year to counteract the hazardous gasses emitted by the vehicles using fossil fuel.

He also cited that the government is now engaged in alternative fuel programs like propagating jatropha believed to generate alternative fuel that could not damage the environment.

If, he said, we do not join forces and seriously pursue activities to avert the hazardous gas emission, we may reach ‘the point of diminishing return’.

RED Pascual was joined by PENRO George Guillermo, PENRO Danny Javier, RD Letty Maceda of the Environment Division, RD Loreto Alburo of Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau, RTD Ricardo Tomol of Forestry, RTD Ramon Unay of Lands and Catbalogan Mayor Tekwa Uy’s representative Art Gabon.