Planting Seeds of Hope
Courtesy of IAYSP
More than half a year later, the “Billion Trees Project” organized by IAYSP last spring and summer is still going strong in the Philippines. The project, which brings together volunteers and resources from multiple IAYSP chapters including the U.S., has seen great progress with thousands of tree seeds and saplings planted to combat the effects of climate change across the archipelagic nation.
“We have seen significant and promising growth of mangrove trees we planted with our partners last spring," said Emman Abuton, project lead of the Misamis Occidental province chapter. Abuton inspected the Southern Poblacion neighborhood of the Plaridel municipality where many saplings were planted for Earth Day 2021, stating that, “the growth outcome is very encouraging to see.”
From September to November, more saplings were planted with the help of IAYSP members from chapters in San Pablo City, Laguna, Lucena, and Bohol who worked alongside volunteers from YSP USA. The American team contributed donations through an online fundraiser in order to cover the cost of various saplings, as well as defray transportation and food expenses for volunteers.
“In October, we planted 647 trees at Barangay Ibabang Palale and 300 mangrove seedlings at the designated coastal areas of Barangay,” said Abuton. “In November, the IAYSP Rizal chapter planted more than 250 seedlings.”
National resource officials determined mahogany, mangrove, bamboo, narra — the national tree of the Philippines — and various fruit trees were the best to plant throughout the country. Abuton credits the project’s burgeoning success to the international and local partnerships of IAYSP chapters, in addition to support from several organizations and groups, including the national Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office and the city of Tayabas police force.
The large-scale tree planting initiative gained momentum after the Philippines government passed the “One Billion Trees” bill last year calling for widespread tree planting to address climate change through reducing carbon dioxide and our ecological footprint. Other nations like the Ukraine and New Zealand have adopted similar legislation.
“This project aims to empower the youth to take responsibility for planting their own trees in their area,” said a local IAYSP organizer. “It was also created to further the mission of the government to protect, preserve, and restore the forest.”
Nearly 26 percent of the Philippines is forested, according to the United Nations. However, only about five percent of the nation’s land area is under some form of protection. True Parents, founders of IAYSP, have long advocated environmentalism and, in 2021, during the founders’ 27th International Conference on the Unity of the Sciences (ICUS), scientists examined reforestation measures, among other innovations to ease environmental stressors.
“Proper stewardship and care for the environment is absolutely essential,” said True Mother in 2014. “Climate change, rising sea levels, deforestation, desertification, a lack of clean water supply, malnutrition and the rising cost of food products require our immediate attention. God created us to love and care for the Earth and all its blessings.”
With that vision, IAYSP continues to empower youth and students to become global citizens through character education and peace projects supporting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Projects like mass tree planting continue to advance the primary goal of a more peaceful world. IAYSP will monitor the growth of the new trees with follow-up visits through May.
You can learn more about the national chapter of IAYSP here, and donate to the Billion Trees Project here.