Graduation legacy

House Bill 8728, or the “Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act,” is a bill requiring all graduating elementary, high school, and college students to plant at least 10 trees each before they can graduate.

Under the bill, the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education will be the implementing bodies, in partnership with the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agriculture, Department of Agrarian Reform, and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and other government agencies.

The bill, called the “Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act,” was approved in the House and is now sent to the Philippines Senate for action. Since everybody can graduate every after-school year, then it is a great delight knowing that we can contribute so much to our environment.

But one thing to consider also is where the agencies are ready to supply the seedlings before March 2020? To think that at least 175 million new trees would be planted each year. Proponents of the law see this as an opportunity for the Filipino youth to help tackle climate change and build a greener environment for their generation.

It is a good initiative for the pupils to render service for the sake of our environment. Let us not wait for the school year end to help our mother nature to make a change instead let us make it as a habit during scouting activities such as Boy Scout, Girl Scout, encampment and any related activities that will have this initiative as part of their activity.

The educational system shall propagate ethical and sustainable use of natural resources among the young to ensure the cultivation of a socially-responsible and conscious citizen. To make this realize the graduating pupils all over the country should show full support so that we can help at least to eradicate the pollution in our environment. ###