Two heritage trees, which are the 36th and 37th heritage trees of Metro Manila, were unveiled by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-National Capital Region (DENR-NCR), and the Pasig City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
Trees designated by the DENR as heritage trees are "old, rare, native, or endemic, with a minimum girth or circumference of 100 centimeters and measures one-half meter above ground."
During the unveiling last Friday, July 8, the two acacia trees were unveiled by the city government and agency officials at the Rizal High School in Pasig.
The DENR said the two heritage trees are said to predate the establishment of the school in 1902.
"Known by teachers and students past and present as 'Batibot', the acacia trees serve as a reminder the rural and humble past of Pasig City, once the capital of Rizal Province prior to its integration with the National Capital Region in 1975," the agency said.
"Standing more than a hundred years old, the trees provided shelter and protection to the number of students who have studied and graduated since, becoming an integral part of the history and heritage of the learning institution."
According to the DENR, trees treasured by the people not only for their ecological value but their historical significance are the target of the Heritage Tree Program.
Trees included in the program receive special attention and protection from a pool of foresters of the DENR-NCR to ensure they live longer for the benefit of future generations.
Host communities nominate trees that are within the DENR's definition of heritage trees. Then, regional offices designated such trees as heritage trees.