LAGAWE, IFUGAO – – Each year starting on 2020, employees at the provincial government who are celebrating their birthday are required to plant ten tree seedlings during the last Friday of the month as a means of ensuring to preserve whatever is left of Ifugao’s mountain range’s forest.
Every year since the province was founded in the mid-1960s, concerned folks have felt the effects of the dwindling forest cover. Ifugao folks, most especially the young educated ones, are now seeking remedies. They argue that there is no more place for “business-as-usual” attitude among the populace in this up-land Cordillera province. The problem is easily attributed to the wide practice of “kaingin” (slash-and-burn farming) by mostly uneducated and hard-headed folks.
“If we want to really save our forest land and its resources, we would do well to ponder on the wisdom of a massive tree-planting program in Ifugao,” Addug told the ZigZag Weekly in an exclusive interview.
Various non-government organizations (NGOs) immediately lauded him, describing Board Member Addug’s initiative and legislated action as “a new hope to save the endangered Ifugao environment.”
The committee on natural resources, environment and ecology, chaired by Board Member Noli Maguiwe, threw its full support for the ordinance’s passage by favorably recommending its approval. Apart from Addug, its other members are Board Members Geronimo Bimohya and Agustin Calya-en.
In his ordinance titled “Institutionalizing the last Friday of every month as Birthday tree-planting in the province of Ifugao,” or the “Birthday Tree-planting Ordinance,” Addug hopes to instill among Ifugao folks the culture of utmost caring for the environment.
It is believed that an individual employed in the provincial government- whether a department head or on- the- job-order training one at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP), can “make a difference” by doing his or her fair share through this innovative activity.
Finding a balance between validating a project at the office within the provincial capitol building premises and taking part in a tree-planting activity is of utmost importance.
“We hope to implement or enforce the provisions of the ordinance early next year,” Addug added.
Penning the landmark measure primarily to add teeth to the province’s environment protection program, Board Member Addug has provided salient mechanisms to bolster the campaign to fully protect the environment and to integrate all other actions in the recent past. One of them is the establishment of a seedling nursery.
A measure intended for collective response to the mounting problem on environmental degradation, this ordinance is certain to give, for instance, the overworked but underpaid job-ordered workers of a board member a profitable and memorable experience.
Hoping to address the problem on wanton and illegal cutting of trees in Ifugao, Addug introduced the measure with a strong backing of his colleagues at the SP. It was passed recently by the 11-member provincial council. “It can open doors for others to do their share,” said Addug, who is the chairman of the committee on public works and infrastructure as well as the committee on indigenous people’s affair and cultural heritage.
With a plummeting forest cover rate, the powerful and influential SP clearly has no option but to enact the said ordinance. It is a good hump-off point to other noteworthy actions of the provincial government in the coming months.
Has the ordinance considered the interrelatedness of the environmental protection program and the “muyong system”? Precisely, so. The strategic thrust of the ordinance for 2020 and the coming years is to strengthen existing forest conservation strategy, as chairmanship of the Birthday Tree-planting Committee is bestowed to an individual who exudes the true essence of an advocate for environmental protection in the person of Governor Jerry Dalipog and who has truly championed the cause of saving Mother Earth over the past decade and generously and untiringly contributed time, resources and expertise to shielding Ifugao’s environment uncaring and misguided persons.
“Muyong” is a unique practice entailing an assisted regeneration strategy that preserves rice terraces farming. Trees are integral component of various ecological processes in a watershed. Trees also hold the soil intact thus undercutting the occurrence of erosion, landslide, mudslide and flooding.
A tree-planting activity is the main pathway to augmenting ways of curbing pollution and ensuring good water quality thus, it doesn’t help to see the timidity among Ifugao folks on illegal cutting of trees in their midst.
To ensure a program for forest survival in Ifugao, strengthening and preserving of the “muyong” system should be urgently addressed.
For its operational requirements, the ordinance’s program received a Php 600,000 annual budget.
The measure is also pushing for protection and preservation of century-old and heritage trees. It cites: “All century and heritage trees shall be tagged, marked and labelled by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office identifying its size, age, historical value and rarity.”
All eyes are trained on the enforcement of the ordinance at the highest unit of government in Ifugao. Yet, the ordinance carries no penalty clause or provision on uncooperative birthday celebrant. While the intent of the ordinance is unquestionable, it is not hard to imagine that the likelihood of implementing it with a high success mark is nearly impossible. Probably, at most, only a few are at hand during the activity.
The provision of a reward system should greatly bolster the ordinances’ well-motivated intent. An incentive of Php100 per tree planted shall be given to the celebrant upon presentation of documents such as birth certificate, employment certificate and his or her picture during the tree planting activity. However, without justifiable reason, the erring celebrant is to face a sanction of paying Php1,000- for not planting the ten trees. Without which, the ordinance is bound to fail.
Like any other ordinance, compliance rate should be extremely high for the goal of promoting the common good to be realized.
Compliance is a critical component in legislative monitoring process as it would present an opportunity for much-desired changes in society. Otherwise, frustration starts to seep in as the majority of the populace continue to cast doubts on the ordinance’s genuine intent and value.
How much optimism can the proponent expect from all concerned parties? The benefits of a positive attitude and rewards of consistently thinking the best of the situation will give the employee a favorable mood of actively taking part in a tree-planting activity that comes of the measure.
With the ordinance in place, it is expected that more Ifugao public servants would benefit from the wealth of knowledge and exercise on environmental protection.
Addug, a former Banaue councilor, won in the last May polls on the issue of platform and service. He also served as a barangay kagawad (village councilor) in Batad.
Addug has been acknowledged for authorship of an ordinance designed to provide an accident mutual assistance funds for tour guides at the municipal council.
Over the years, Board Member Addug has acquired the reputation as an environmentalist.
Voters in the province’s second district chose him because of his advocacy for the environment. He topped the race for board member in the said district. There are 48,653 voters (2018) in the towns of Aguinaldo, Alfonso Lista, Banaue and Mayoyao. The district has 81 barangays.
Addug’s initiative is so timely, relevant and creative that it seems like it shouldn’t attract attention at all- and yet the young and articulate legislator keeps surprising everyone. Many are sharing their thoughts on this concern. Otherwise, the ordinance just doesn’t make sense at all because really, for the goal to be attained throughout the province, each of the 11 towns has to pass a similar ordinance. And that can take place? Obviously right! **By Anthony A. Araos
