147 Dinagat Islands schools plant 30K trees this Christmas season
By Renelle L. Escuadro
BUTUAN CITY (PIA) — All the 147 public schools in the Province of Dinagat Islands participated in the Department of Education-Schools Division of Dinagat Islands’ ’30K Trees: One Division, One Christmas Gift,’ a simultaneous planting of 30,000 trees in the different parts of the province on December 12.
The initiative, supported by stakeholders and partners, promoted a strong sense of responsibility among learners, parents, educators and school personnel for the environment.
Organizers said that the activity aimed to help efforts to save the environment and instill the indispensable role of trees in making communities more safe as trees are effective shields against typhoons, flooding and landslides.
Dinagat Islands Schools Division Superintendent Florence E. Almaden thanked the overwhelming participation in the ‘30K Trees: One Division, One Christmas Gift.’
“I am deeply inspired by your participation in this meaningful cause. This initiative is our gift to the environment this Christmas season and our way of giving back to the communities that sustain us,” Almaden said.
“We often find ourselves at the receiving end of gifts during the holiday season. But this time, we take the opportunity to give not to ourselves, but to our environment, to our fellow Dinagatnons and to the generations that will inherit our beautiful Dinagat Islands,” she said. “Through this collective effort, we demonstrate that our dedication as educators extends beyond the classroom. By taking care of our environment, we are teaching by example by showing to our learners the importance of responsibility, stewardship and gratitude because every sapling we plant today is a tangible expression of love and care for our home.”
With soiled hands and hearts for throbbing for the environment, student leaders from the Don Ruben E. Ecleo Sr. Memorial National High School (DREESMNHS) came together and planted trees in Barangay Wilson in San Jose town, turning the collective effort into a meaningful step toward a greener and more sustainable future.
To the members of Mugna, the art society of the DREESMNHS, every tree planted is a brushstroke of hope, turning nature into a living artwork as they helped create a greener canvas for future generations.
Meanwhile, the Magsaysay Elementary School in Loreto town which was badly hit by Typhoon Tino on November 4 gave time to join in the ecological engagement as their way of thanking the Almighty God for sparing their lives from the recent disaster. “We cannot stop typhoons from coming, but we can do something to lessen or prevent their impact because these trees serve as our lifetime bulwark.”
The Department of Education – Schools Division of Dinagat Islands through the 30K Trees: One Division, One Christmas Gift reaffirmed its commitment to environmental stewardship, highlighting the importance of shared responsibility in strengthening the province’s beauty and natural defense. (RLE, PIA Dinagat Islands with a report from DepEd Dinagat Islands)