Join IP Children & Elders Replant 1000 Trees

We are happy to inform that we have expanded the tree planting activity to another location in Sitio Lapat, Nabuangan, Conner  in the Province of Abra Northern Philippines.  The earlier reforesttion activity held in Bayabas Province of Abra is continuing and is now being looked at as a good example of community efforts at tree planting.

Both Bayabas and Sityo Lapat are SIBAT partners where microhydro systems are installed for lighting Part microhydro development is the protection and rehablitation of the areas ecosystem and watershed.  This aims to protect the water flowing freely for potable water supply, for irrigating rice lands , domestic use and optimizatin for microhydro power.

Sityo Lapat will have an additional microhydor systems  which will be inaugurated this August, and hence part of the community contribution is ensuring that there watershed areas including thinning patches are planted with trees  to preserve its cover

Like Bayabas, the community is moving its members, mostly indigenous peoples from children, youth elderly and women to carry on the task. it's typhoon period in the Philippines, and while urban areas and cities are suffering from flooding, upland communities like Lapat are maximizing the wet season for planting crops and catching up with their reforestation efforts.  It is during this period that survival rates are expected to be high during the dry months.

Here as shown in the pictures are community members taking a breaking before arranging themselves into cluster groups to undertake the tree planting activities.  Here like Bayabas, they are also adopting a patch by patch approach.  Given their busy activities they planned to do this at least twice a month or at most once a month every saturday.

In our next report, we will update as regards the progress of their work.  Once again we thank you for your continued support as the community struggles to rehabilitate and protect their watershed and as well their humble contribution to the enormous problems of climate change. 

Our latest update which was in the last quarter of last year around September was not followed up soon till this report for latest update.

But to recall, starting July up to October last year 2024 , the Philippines was unfortunately battered by 4 successive typhoons, 3 of which came in within a months time in October. It is worth noting that some replanted seedlings have withstood the  long drought of the first quarter of last year. It's quite a challenging condition as we faced the risk of low survival rates especially when adverse wheather disturbances strike the areas.  Due to this storms the area was rendered unpassable and it took months before roads gets opened and field visits could be resumed.  Hence the delay of this report. 

Nevertheless, it is with resolve that despite this, the campaign for outplanting naturally growing species will have to continue  despite.  The idea is to keep on covering open patches and hope that survival rates will continually be higher.   Over time, the plan is to continue the high average of  reforestation work hoping that surviving seedlings grow sturdier and can  withstand erosion or flooding. 

One of the risks that we have reported also earlier is forest fire which unfortunately in some cases are made deliberately  to clear areas.  The purpose is for new grasses to grow in abundance for cattle pasture.  The problem with this is that forest fires are uncontrollable and the conflagration may extend to other unintended areas with  adverse consequences.  Added to that is the difficulty to identify the culprits as the area is so large and perpetrators sometimes belong to adjacent brgys.  There is an effort on going to raise this concerns to barangay authorities and a mechanism is established to help minimize these abuses.

Currently, we are still on the hottest months which is March to early May before the rainy season comes. Fortunately, there are no forest fires reported and that gives some assurance that thriving seedlings are safe from being destructed by fire.  

So again as mentioned  the effort to replant is a sustained campaign.  The people have become aware of the importance of a thick forest cover.  This is especially important for water systems like rivers and streams to maintain its level of abundance. This is where marine life thrive and the community depended on these as added sources of food.  Also, the communities are getting aware of the potential negative effects of climate change.  A thick forest cover can shield them from strong storms as had happened about two years with the Sierra Madre Mountain Range and its sizesable watershed cover have filtered  a storm.

Thank you for your continued support for the indigenous peoples in Bayabas where the tree planting works is implemented.  Your support enabled the community to continue with their planting efforts which is a difficult tasks.  But the community is happy that this effort made out  of their communal labor will not only benefit them but the children that comes after them  .

Again thank you for your generousity.  We highly appreciate your concern and participation in this endeavor.  We extend the communities gratitude for the efforts you made.  It contributes largely to the campaign.  Little by little  the barren patches will be covered and new young trees will be seen thriving.  The objective is to replenis lost trees and to see more greens building up rather than looking at a large mountain range with bare patches and dwingling large trees. 

Thank you for journeying with us in this endeavor.  The gains is worth the effort.  The presistence and perseverance we know will bear fruit. It is worth the wait and thank you for being with us on this.