As part of the continuing advocacy of the Department of Agriculture – Bureau of Agricultural and Fisheries Engineering (DA-BAFE) in protecting the environment and caring for mother Earth, officials and employees of the bureau conducted another tree-planting activity on July 4, 2022.
Fifty BAFE personnel led by BAFE Assistant Director Juana Tapel participated in planting 300 seedlings of various fruit-bearing trees in a reforestation area within the Pantabangan watershed of UPRIIS (Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems), Pantabangan, Nueva Ecija.
In planting these seedlings, BAFE employees are raising public awareness on the urgent need to plant and save trees, expressing concern for the environment, and acting to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change. The tree-planting activity was done in partnership with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
Prior to the tree-planting activity, the BAFE employees visited the facilities of the 100-megawatt Pantabangan hydroelectric plant owned and operated by First Gen Hydro Power Corporation (FG Hydro). Hydroelectric power plants produce power by harnessing energy from flowing or moving water. Apart from being a source of renewable energy, hydro plants also help with flood control, irrigation, and water supply.
BAFE has previously conducted tree-planting activities in different locations across the country like the La Mesa Ecopark in Quezon City; National Seed Technology Park (NSTP) in Capas, Tarlac; and SCTEX – New Clark City Cloverleaf in Tarlac. ###Marshall Louie Asis