As one of the leading advocates of the recently signed Green Jobs Law, the Institute for Labor Studies (ILS) walks the talk as it puts into action this year’s tree planting activity in Region I’s largest agricultural province.

In May 2016, ILS employees planted one hundred (100) Sweet Tamarind seedlings in Brgy. Pocal-Pocal, Alaminos City, Pangasinan, with assistance from Mrs. Bernadette May M. Mamitag, OIC-Field Officer, Mr. Gester Tolentino, Agriculturist II, and Mr. Jamell Reyes of the Public Information Office, LGU-Alaminos City, Pangasinan.

“As part of our teambuilding activity, we also encourage our staff to continue our drive to take care of the environment while at the same time supporting the livelihood of our agricultural sector, wherein employment for a lot of people in rural areas is dependent.” said OIC-Executive Director Ma. Celeste M. Valderrama.

“We commend the ILS for this laudable program and for their valuable contribution in mitigating the impact of climate change while ensuring the sustainable source of income for the local residents and a more livable communities,” said Alaminos City Mayor Arthur F. Celeste.

This also concludes the ILS contribution to environment protection under 2011-2016 Green Our DOLE Program (GODP). For the said years, ILS was able to plant 3,400 seedlings in different areas: 500 guyabano trees in Sariaya, Quezon (2012), 2,000 mangroves in Iba, Zambales (2013), 400 bitaog trees in Palo, Leyte (2014), and 400 pitogo trees in Baler, Aurora (2015).

The Assessment of Progress Towards the APEC 2020 Forest Cover Goal presented at the 27th APEC Ministerial Meeting on November 2015 mentions the Philippines’ success in its reforestation program. “In the Philippines, a long-term deforestation trend continued up until 2010… since then, the long run deforestation trend has been reversed and by 2015, total forest cover is estimated to have increased from 6.84 million hectares to 8.04 million hectares.”

Please click on the link below for additional references:

http://mddb.apec.org/Documents/2015/MM/AMM/15_amm_002.pdf

(For more information on this press release, please contact Mr. Marc Peñaredondo, Labor and Employment Officer II, Advocacy and Publications Division, Institute for Labor Studies, Telephone Nos. 5273490 / 5273447)