“Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.”
— Joyce Kilmer (December 6, 1886 – June 30, 1918)
I am already in my mid-50s, and I have never read a scientific narrative or a compelling essay that claims planting trees is harmful to nature or to mankind.
I am constantly reminded by those who are older and wiser that planting trees is a responsibility—something I should do at least once a year for the rest of my life.
In June 1990, I joined my first tree-planting activity alongside students, professionals, government employees, and active members of various non-government organizations in Puerto Princesa City. The event was organized by the then Palawan Integrated Area Development Project Office (PIADPO), which later became the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff (PCSDS).
That tree-planting event marked the first Pista Y ang Kagueban (Feast of the Forest), held in the Irawan Watershed area.
I came to know some of the dedicated men and women of PIADPO who bravely stood against the mining exploration of Benguet Mining Corporation to protect the Irawan forest, the city’s main water source.
For 30 years, this tree-planting movement—initially aimed solely at safeguarding the water source—has expanded to other locations in the city. Along the way, many have forgotten that hundreds of those first hardwood seedlings have since grown, matured, and now stand as towering trees in Irawan. These trees may very well become the next targets of illegal logging syndicates.
Aside from the flood control projects funded by the city government and the often-corrupt infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), planting trees remains the most effective way to mitigate large-scale flooding and soil erosion.
I believe the Irawan forests—where the city’s main water source is located—must now be protected by specific legislation and placed under the management of a credible institution.
To shield the Irawan forests from illegal loggers and unscrupulous government officials whose long-term agenda may include land grabbing, a presidential proclamation is needed. This should transfer management authority over the Irawan forests to the Western Philippines University (WPU), which offers academic programs in forestry and agriculture.
WPU’s faculty, particularly those from its main campus in Aborlan, many of whom were trained at the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), are well-equipped to manage and protect the Irawan forests.
Entrusting the forests to the academic community would allow them to serve as a living laboratory for taxonomy, forestry, zoology, biology, agriculture, animal husbandry, and eventually, veterinary medicine.
WPU would gain both academic and scientific prestige if it were to manage the Irawan forests—similar to how UPLB manages the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve in Laguna.
Since its founding on March 6, 1909, UPLB has been empowered by various laws to manage the 1,098-hectare Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, which also hosts its colleges, chapel, library, dormitories, and other facilities to foster students’ holistic development.
Today, Mt. Makiling is a state-owned forest reserve under UPLB’s administration, used for forestry education and research.
Likewise, through either a presidential proclamation or an act of Congress, the Irawan forests could be transferred to WPU for the same purpose.
I’ve heard that WPU is now overcrowded with government-subsidized students. Expanding its facilities into the Irawan area could ease congestion and simultaneously enhance protection of the forest. The area could even host a Boy Scouts jamboree site and serve as a venue for academic and environmental training programs.
If the Irawan forests are denuded by illegal logging and the city government continues to neglect its protection, Puerto Princesa could face catastrophic flooding. The consequences would be dire.
The city sits right at the foot of Mount Irawan. In the event of strong monsoon rains, flash floods from the mountain could descend within minutes—and possibly in the dead of night.
I urge City Mayor Lucilo Bayron, who is currently convening discussions on flood mitigation, to form an inter-agency task force—including the Western Command—to secure the Irawan forests.
Additionally, Mayor Bayron could establish a new tree-planting activity aside from the annual Pista Y ang Kagueban, perhaps on December 8 during the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, or any date he finds suitable.
I recall that during Mayor Edward Hagedorn’s term, the city acquired a helicopter used to monitor forest activity in Irawan. Is it possible to acquire another one, dedicated to environmental and forest protection?
As of now, I don’t know if the city government has personnel assigned as forest rangers.
WPU offers a course in forest management, and its students are certainly capable of performing the duties of forest rangers.
There are now many informal settlers inside the Irawan forest, which will make it difficult for the city government to enforce protective measures.
Planting hardwood trees is a long-term solution to flooding, and it must be institutionalized as a biannual city program.
Before I end, I propose that the city government officially designate the original Pista Y ang Kagueban site as a “City Botanical Park” covering at least 50 hectares.
This could be done through a city ordinance and should include clear penalties for violations.
