By Zaldy Comanda BAGUIO CITY – An ordinance was approved on first reading wanting each family to plant tree in their barangay or any available space identified by the City Environment and Parks management Office (CEPMO) or the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda, who authored the ordinance, said she wants to “raise awareness on the importance of planting, caring, and nurturing a tree as an effort to save the environment.” The ordinance will assign the CEPMO and the Office of the Mayor to formulate the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). Families who participate in the tree-planting program will be given benefits in order to encourage greater participation in the community. Tree-planting will also be a requirement for the issuance of a barangay clearance. Tabanda noted the indispensable role of trees in the environment. “It breathes in carbon dioxide and releases oxygen, the gas that sustains life,” Tabanda wrote in her proposal. “Human activities and natural causes make the trees disappear rapidly. They are taking a great toll on our survival. The tree planting program is one of the many approaches of the government which elicits greater participation from the private sector and the local government unit,” Tabanda added.