Nurture the Marikina Watershed, Part 3
Volunteers for the Environment to Plant Trees in Celebration of Heroes’ Month

Environmental advocates and volunteers can commemorate the passing of two caring Filipinos—Ninoy and Cory Aquino—and surface their own brand of heroism this August.

On August 18, the iamninoy-iamcory Movement, together with the Community Action for Reforestation (CAREFOR), Fostering People’s Education, Empowerment, Enterprise (FPE3) and the Ayala Malls, will be staging the third installment of the highly successful tree nursery and planting initiative, Nurture the Marikina Watershed (NMW).

The project is part of a massive multi-sector effort to increase forest cover of the Marikina watershed from the current 20% to a minimum sustainable level of 54%. This entails harnessing a new form of people power to build enough nurseries that would produce some 6.7 million seedlings for replanting in the area. The project invites the youth to take part in this noble endeavor.  

“Nurture the Marikina Watershed!” was launched last February 25, 2012 at Brgy. Calawis, Antipolo to commemorate the 26th anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution. For the first and second runs of the project, about 300 volunteers engaged in various tree nursery activities such as potting, pruning, and preparing the incubation chambers for a total of 20,000 native wildings.

Some of the volunteers present at the event signed up last November and December 2011 in various Ayala Malls as part of the Project Inspire Campaign. Several graduates of the Ninoy & Cory Aquino Leadership Journey volunteers acted as team leaders during the first two events.

For the third run of “Nurture the Marikina Watershed!”, the incubated wildings will now be planted at designated sites within the Marikina watershed.

NMW3 is a whole-day activity that will begin at 5am on August 18 with volunteer registration at the Trinoma Mall in Quezon City. Only registered volunteers will be allowed to join. Transportation to and from the event site in Barangay Calawis, Antipolo, Rizal, as well as food and drinks for all volunteers, will be provided.

“Ninoy and Cory Aquino dedicated their lives to strengthening our democracy and empowering Filipinos everywhere,” said Rafael C. Lopa, President and Executive Director of the Ninoy & Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF). “Their lives embodied the sacrifices of millions of unheralded Filipinos who have fought for the same ideals. It is only fitting that we honor the memory of our heroic countrymen through our own acts of heroism, no matter how small. Each tree that we plant will be in tribute to them and our personal investment in safeguarding our environment for future generations of Filipinos.”

In September 2009, Typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) ravaged Metro Manila, leaving behind approximately 500 dead and 38 missing. The sorry state of the Marikina watershed is said to have been a major factor that exacerbated the devastating impact of the typhoon which caused massive floods across Metro Manila. “Nurture the Marikina Watershed” is designed to mitigate the recurrence of a disaster of that magnitude.

 “Nurture the Marikina Watershed!” is also made possible by the generous support of Lafarge Cement Services Philippines, Inc., My Philippines Lifestyle, and Yeo’s Juice Drink.

Youtube video link of the 1^st Run

Project Proponents

Ninoy & Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF)
Through its youth program, the iamninoy-iamcory Movement, NCAF seeks to form a new breed of Filipino heroes who will live out the spirit of sacrifice and love for country, as embodied by Ninoy and Cory Aquino.

Ayala Malls
The biggest chain of world-class shopping malls in the country takes a stand to make a difference and pushes the hero in their customers through a series of initiatives that inspire and uplift people’s hearts.

Fostering People’s Education, Empowerment, Enterprise (FPE3)
FPE3 is a non-profit organization created by the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (www.fpe.ph). FPE3 is one of the collaborating partners in the Marikina watershed initiative. FPE3 is specifically engaged in the rehabilitation and restoration of the Marikina watershed, particularly in the Boso-Boso and Tayabasan sub-watershed areas.

Community Action for Reforestation (CAREFOR)
CAREFOR is a community of volunteers replanting forests. It is a reforestation volunteer program that connects with indigenous and local communities to plant trees in their ancestral domain and community-designated reforestation areas. CAREFOR also partners with other organizations to mobilize more volunteers in order to plant more trees and build seedling nurseries.