RAFI, Insular Foundation to raise nurseries, plant 10,000 native trees in Catmon, Cebu

MINERVA BC NEWMAN

CEBU CITY – The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) and Insular Foundation Inc. inked a partnership agreement in April this year to establish tree nurseries and plantations and grow 10,000 native trees in the various communities located in Catmon, Cebu through the “Growing ln Life: Native Tree Growing Project.”

Both Foundations believed that this project can greatly help to alleviate the harmful effects of climate change and to recover the tree cover lost and provide income augmentation for partner farmers in Catmon.

RAFI has its “One To Tree” (OTT) program that established partnerships with communities using the Filipino-identified concept of “Bayanihan” where everyone in the community participates in a collective effort to uplift and save the Earth, RAFI OTT executive director Anton Dignadice said.

Dignadice added that RAFI-OTT engages communities to protect and rehabilitate the environment by establishing native tree nurseries and tree plantations in partner communities in Cebu.

“Through the nurseries and plantations, we will promote protection of the environment while elevating the lives of the members of the communities especially the farmers. We urge everyone to share our vision for sustainable environment,” Dignadice stated.

RAFI and Insular Foundation are glad of the partnership that is geared to help minimize its effects on our planet. This is more than just the usual tree growing activity because both parties want to achieve sustainability with it.

As implementing partner, RAFI-OTT will conduct technical trainings to assist partner communities to maintain production and growth of the seedlings planted. The Insular Foundation on the other hand has been making a difference in Philippine society for more than 50 years through its flagship education program.

Insular Foundation is the corporate social responsibility subsidiary of Insular Life that institutionalized the Insular Gold Eagle College Scholarship Grant and its many other programs that advocate for social and economic mobility, sustainable environment, and employee volunteerism.

“We are very happy to have found RAFI OTT, in our search for a suitable partner to give our own contribution to the effort of environment sustainability through the planting and growing 10,000 native trees,” Ana Maria Soriano, Executive Director of Insular Foundation said at the contract signing event in Ayala Alabang.

With the plan to expand its sustainable environment advocacy, Insular Foundation Inc. encourages its employees, agents as well as the partner site the Municipality of Catmon, Cebu to develop deep environmental consciousness as well as a changed mindset and lifestyle.

“The foundation continues to promote a sense of “tunay na pagbabago at tunay na malasakit” for the environment.  With the 10,000 trees, at least we can be part of the conservation effort that you (RAFI-OTT) have been doing in Cebu. We build on what RAFI has started. We are supplementing so that in totality, we don’t look at it as Insular Foundation’s impact, but of course all the organizations that are pitching with their efforts together with RAFI,”Teresita Melad, Program Manager of Insular Foundation, Inc. said.

The “Growing ln Life: Native Tree Growing Project” will run for 32 months and see project completion by September 2024. The project works closely with the foundations, Catmon LGU and the focused communities for the set-up and production of the 10,000-native tree seedlings.

According to Dignadice, RAFI-OTT, formerly known as RAFI Biodiversity Conservation Unit (BCU)) has been active in reforestation and conservation for over two decades now and has achieved more than 80 percent survival rate for native tree growing. (Photos: RAFI)