Camp General Artemio Ricarte, Puerto Princesa City— To help gain momentum for the implementation of the tree-growing program of the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CRSAFP), personnel of the 6th Civil Relations Group and their respective families have conducted a tree-planting activity on June 17 and 30 around its office at the Western Command headquarters, Bgy San Miguel, Puerto Princesa City.

Staff Sergeant Crisanto S Casio PN (M), with his wife Analyn and kids Kevin and Princess Nicole led the planting of fruit-bearing trees conducted by the personnel of the 6th CRG and their families.

 The activity was held in compliance with the directive issued by COMMANDER, CRSAFP MGEN ROLANDO B TENEFRANCIA AFP that aims to ”project the relevance and collective commitment of this Service (CRSAFP) to the environment.”

The program is the group’s answer to what MGEN TENEFRANCIA AFP called “a mounting need to mitigate the effects of global warming”.

Each unit is expected to plant at least 100 trees; officers, ten; enlisted personnel, five; and civilian employees, three.

From within the group, the 6th CRG intends to expand the scope of the program to include the collective support of civilian individuals and different groups and organization.

The group, headed by MAJ JOSEPH D BUGAOAN PA, believes that planting trees is a responsibility of everyone because it is a mandate for all to improve, protect and maintain the environment particularly with the growing concerns of global warming, climate change and various pressing environmental issues.

The tree-planting activity was preceded by a lecture given by MAJ BUGAOAN PA among the 6th CRG personnel on these issues, highlighting the need to undertake concrete measures to address them.

The group also plans to conduct advocacy campaigns to promote the tree-growing program of the CRSAFP.

“Solving these issues of a global scale should begin with us,” MGEN TENEFRANCIA AFP said in his directive. “This tree-planting project paves a way in engaging ourselves in the fight against global warming and in the AFP’s advocacy for environmental protection.”

“In exemplifying this broad paradigm into the specifics of reality, CRSAFP wants to show how the hands of a few can make a significant change in shaping the public’s attitude towards environmental protection,” MGEN TENEFRANCIA’s directive reads.