A more environmentally friendly tomorrow is foreseen for the Philippines with legislation mandating the planting of trees for the issuance of building permits having already passed the House of Representatives.
In a move that is seen to help slow down the disastrous effects of climate change, House Bill No. 8569 for the Green Measures Act requires all residential, commercial, industrial, and public building development projects to submit a Tree Planting Plan (TPP) when applying for government permits. The buildings must allocate, sustain, and design spaces for planting and preserving trees.
The bill was passed by 266 votes from the Philippine Congress on August 7, 2023, and now anticipates approval from the Senate. The Green Measures Act endeavors to “preserve the environment for present and future generations,” the bill’s text says.
Here are the pertinent provisions of the proposed Green Measures Act:
- For commercial and industrial projects, at least 1 tree must be planted for every 500 square meters. The requirement is stricter for structures intended for housing and development, where 1 tree must be planted for every 250 square meters.
- The congressional bill also states that these plans should ideally give preference to indigenous tree species based on the site’s location, climate, and topography. The Act adds that non-vigorously growing endemic ornamental plants/trees and fruit-bearing trees are particularly recommended for residential areas. Some trees native to the Philippines include narra, banaba, salingbobog, and malabulak.
- The bill applies to all structures that are being constructed, altered, repaired, and converted. Moreover, the TPP will be a requirement for garnering building permits in tandem with other conditions imposed by local government units.
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If passed into law, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Public Works and Highways will facilitate the Green Measures Act’s implementation.
The Philippines is considered to be one of the countries that are most vulnerable to global warming, especially due to the persistence of typhoons and flooding in the country. Trees are huge deterrents to climate change as they can capture about 10 kilograms of carbon dioxide per year. In comparison, humans emit about 1,000 kilograms of carbon in their lifetime. A precursor to the bill, the Philippine government and the private sector previously marked a deal in 2022 to plant 10 million trees by 2030.
As part of its ongoing efforts to slow down climate change, the Philippines is no stranger to tree-planting initiatives. Residents of Cantilan, Surigao del Sur conducted a project to plant 1.3 million trees. Likewise, Iloilo embarked on a drive to plant 1.5 million native and fruit-bearing trees throughout the province.
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