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BCDA to resume SCTEX greening
Author: BCDA
Posted: June 23, 2010 | Category: SCTEX
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is all set to plant starting this month an additional 10,000 seedlings of forest trees along the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) “as a gesture of returning to nature what we get from its resources.”
MGen. Trifonio Salazar (Ret), SCTEX program manager of support services group and greening and environmental management, revealed that they have some 20,000 transplant-ready saplings of some 30 species of native trees at the company-run nurseries in Morong, Bataan and Clark, Pampanga.
“The remaining 10,000 of these young trees are scheduled for planting along the SCTEX next year,” Salazar said.
He pointed out that the greening project forms part of the BCDA’s environment-oriented corporate social responsibility program meant to enhance the naturally beautiful landscape along both sides of the 93.7-kilometer toll way.
Salazar also noted that some of the new trees along the SCTEX failed to withstand the protracted dry spell generated by the El Nino weather phenomenon, and have to be replaced.
“Our planting season is from June to December which is normally a wet season and therefore, conducive to the growth of the young plants,” Salazar said.
Under BCDA’s five-year greening program which ends in 2013, a total of 50,000 saplings will take roots on both sides of the SCTEX in support of the government’s overall efforts to help mitigate global warming.
“This undertaking not only enhances the SCTEX’s natural aesthetic value, but more significantly, it helps address the worldwide concern of bringing down greenhouse gas emission which contributes to global warming,” Salazar stressed.
BCDA program manager for support services and SCTEX spokesman BGen. Robert Gervacio (Ret) has also underscored the relevance of the tree-planting program, saying it may set the example for future road projects across the country to emulate.
BCDA officials cited field workers assigned to the greening program for their diligence and initiative in sourcing the seedlings for the nurseries from the rainforests of Bataan and neighboring Zambales province.
Among the tree species are the all-season Kamagong, Tangili, and Mulawin, as well as Bitaog, Cupang, Balacat, Cupang, Bignay, Ilang-ilang, Antipolo, Katmon and Bani.
