KUMPIYANSA ang mga lawmaker na sa darating na 17th Congress ay mabibigyang prayoridad ang pagpapasigla at proteksiyon sa kagubatan sa ating bansa, ayon sa ulat ng Philippine News Agency (PNA).

“We are all witnesses to nature’s fury. Global warming and climate change are now a real threat to humanity. We must do our part and act now to counter the problem of biodiversity loss for the sake of the future generations,” diin ng mga lawmaker.

Mayroong iba’t ibang environmental measure na ikinokonsidera ng House Committee on Reforestation na, kung sakaling hindi makapasa dahil sa limiting panahon, siguradong ipakikila sa unang araw ng susunod na Kongreso. Ito ay ang sumusunod:

1) House Bill 3556 – “An Act to require every student to plant (ten) trees every year” isinulat nina Reps. Rufus Rodriguez at Maximo Rodriguez; and

2) HB 972 – “An Act requiring all graduating elementary, high school and college students to plant at least ten (10) tress each as a prerequisite for graduation and for other related purposes,” nina Reps. Francisco Ashley L. Acedillo at Gary C. Alejano.

“While we recognize the right of the youth to a balanced and healthful ecology, as proclaimed in the 1987 Constitution, there is no reason why they cannot be made to contribute in order to ensure that this would be an actual reality,” pahayag nina Magdalo Party-list Reps. Acedillo at Alejano.

Ipinagdiinan din nila na ang HB 972 ay pasok sa Executive Order No. 26, Series of 2011, na inisyu ni Pangulong Benigno S. Aquino III, na layuning hikayatin ang mga estudyante at mga empleyado na magtanim ng 1.5 bilyong puno sa loob ng anim na taon mula 2011 hanggang 2016.

“Even with a survival rate of only 10 percent, this would translate to an additional 525 million trees available for the youth to enjoy, when they assume the mantle of leadership in the future,” sambit nina Acedillo at Alejano.

Samantala, ipinaliwanag naman nina Reps. Rufus B. Rodriguez at Maximo B. Rodriguez Jr., na sa kasalukuyan, maraming puno pa rin ang pinutol dahil sa urban at industrial development, illegal lumber trade at large-scale mining, at iba pa.

“Furthermore, global warming and climate change are environmental phenomena intertwined with the world’s decreasing biodiversity. The loss of biodiversity is making climate change more complicated which poses threat on the planet’s marine and plant life,” dagdag pa ng magkapatid na Rodriguez.