MinDAand 3.5 million trees planted during TreeVolution

KIDAPAWAN CITY– The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA)today said latest unofficial count of the number of trees planted during the hour-long Treevolutionand Greening MinDANow” project showed the country has a clean chance of unseating India as the present Guinness record holder on the highest number of trees planted in an hour. MinDA, which organized and spearheadedthe massive tree planting activity in different areas of Mindanao on September 26 with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), posted the unofficial tally at 3,517,489 trees as of 10:28 a.m., Tuesday.It washigher than the 1,945,535 trees world record et by India in 2011.In the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Regional Gov. Mujiv Hataman led government workers, students and other volunteers in planting more than 137,000 seedlings in a combined area of 109 hectares of forest land and coast. We are still collating all data and awaiting the complete reports from our city and provincial offices,” said Romeo Manzan, chief of DENR-ARMM’s protected area and wildlife bureau.He said ARMM had already surpassed its original commitment of planting 70,000 seedlings.MinDA has set October 6 as the deadline for the submission of final data from the different DENR offices involved in the activity for representatives of Guiness to verify and validate.Hataman said more than an attempt to secure a world record, Treevolution, which was also conducted in support to the National Greening Program, was about raising awareness on leading environmental issues. The one-hour tree planting activity is also our way of addressing food security and disaster risk reduction and mitigating the effects climate change. We are here not just to beat title holder India, but to beat climate change,” he said.MinDA Sec. Luwalhati Antonino said the activity was a huge success not only for the planters but also for the coming generation who will benefit from it. It was worth emulating, we can do it again, soon, she said.