It's already a tradition for graduates in the Philippines to plant trees, and a new law formalizing this custom could result in 175 million new trees being planted every year.
The country's House of Representatives recently approved a bill that requires all graduating elementary, high school, and college students to plant 10 trees. Gary Alejano of the Magdalo Party wrote the measure, and said that every year, 12 million students graduate from elementary school, five million from high school, and 500,000 from college.
"In the course of one generation, no less than 525 billion [trees] can be planted under this initiative," he said. "Even with a survival rate of only 10 percent, this would mean an additional 525 million trees would be available for the youth to enjoy, when they assume the mantle of leadership in the future."
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During the 20th century, total forest cover in the Philippines plummeted from 70 percent to just 20 percent, The Independent reports, and the country still struggles with illegal logging. The new trees will be planted in existing forests, abandoned mining sites, urban areas, and mangroves, and will be appropriate for the location and climate. Not only will this make the Philippines greener and help with climate change, but the effort will also teach young people about the importance of protecting the Earth.
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