PEACE-MAKER
In her column, Driving Thoughts, titled “Let’s plant 3 million trees!,” last Feb. 20, our esteemed executive editor and columnist of this paper, Pinky Concha-Colmenares, talked about the program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), called “Forests for Life: 3M trees by 2028.”
Truly, as Ms Colmenares pointed out, “The number — three million trees — seems daunting, if not just ambitious, but after listening to the presentation on how much forest land needs to be reforested, planting three million trees is a small number.”
Ms Colmenares’ column about this DENR project reminded us of the Billion Trees Program — later Trillion Trees Program — which we launched 21 years ago, in 2004, when we were Speaker of the House of Representatives. It was an ambitious yet urgent initiative to combat the twin crises of deforestation and climate change. Recognizing the devastating effects of environmental degradation, we sought to restore our forests, protect our watersheds, and provide a sustainable future for generations to come.
As the world faces intensifying climate challenges, the importance of this initiative has never been clearer. In January 2020, the World Economic Forum launched a program to “grow, restore, and conserve one trillion trees around the world and in a bid to restore biodiversity and help fight climate change.” At the COP26 summit in Glasgow in November 2021, 110 world leaders pledged to end and reverse deforestation by 2030. The countries which signed the agreement reportedly cover some 85 percent of the world’s forests.
The Philippines has lost millions of hectares of forest cover over the past decades due to illegal logging, urban expansion, and unsustainable land use. This destruction has led to soil erosion, biodiversity loss, and more severe natural disasters. Floods, landslides, and prolonged droughts have become all too common, affecting the livelihoods of farmers, fisherfolk, and indigenous communities.
Reforestation is one of the most effective solutions to these problems. Trees act as natural carbon sinks, absorbing carbon dioxide and reducing the greenhouse gases that drive global warming. They also prevent erosion, regulate water cycles, and provide a habitat for countless species. By planting a trillion trees, we are not just restoring our environment, we are securing our future.
The Trillion Trees Program was never meant to be the work of a single individual or organization. From the very beginning, we envisioned it as a nationwide — indeed global — movement that would unite government agencies, the private sector, civil society, and local communities. We have seen students, farmers, business leaders, and environmental advocates come together to plant trees, proving that collective action can bring about real change.
Beyond the Philippines, we have also encouraged our neighbors in Asia and the international community to adopt large-scale reforestation programs. Climate change is a global crisis, and only through cooperation can we mitigate its worst effects.
Planting trees is only the beginning. True environmental protection requires long-term commitment, ensuring that these trees grow into healthy forests, protecting them from illegal activities, and integrating sustainable land management policies. Governments must provide stronger support for reforestation efforts, and every citizen must take part in preserving our natural resources.
Today, as climate change accelerates and our planet faces unprecedented environmental challenges, the mission of the Trillion Trees program is more critical than ever. We urge our leaders, our youth, and every Filipino to continue the cause, because the trees we plant today will shape the future of our nation and the world.