MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives (HOR) approved on third and final reading a measure that requires all graduating students to plant 10 trees each as a prerequisite for graduation.

House Bill 8728 or the “Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act” aims to move the youth into action to “promote environmental protection, biodiversity, climate change mitigation, poverty reduction, and food security,” according to the bill’s authors Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano and Bacoor, Cavite Rep. Strike Revilla.

The bill enumerates areas where the tree planting would be executed.

These include forestlands, mangrove and protected areas, ancestral domains, inactive and abandoned mine sites, among other suitable areas.

Concerned agencies shall be the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) in cooperation with the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP), among others.

The agencies shall be responsible in seedling production, site preparation, nursery establishment, monitoring and evaluation, as well as technical support and extension services.

They should also provide for the students’ transportation, security and medical needs on the course of the tree planting activity.

The bill is now for transmission to the Senate for action. – Marje Pelayo

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