CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — “Planting trees is a way of protecting the environment, and protecting the environment is a way of prolonging one’s life.”
Talking green, Mayor Edwin “EdSa” Santiago has spurred the city government to intensify its urban greening program along the Jose Abad Santos Avenue here.
Starting Tuesday, the city environment and natural resources office has been planting 23,000 different species on the median strip of the busiest thoroughfare in Pampanga.
The San Fernando stretch of JASA is the city’s business center, hosting major commercial establishments such as car dealerships, banks, a hospital, restaurants, bus terminals, gas stations, home improvement supply depots, even a school.
Santiago cites the need to balance economics with the ecology: “Ang pagtatanim kasi ay isang paraan upang ma-balanse natin ang kalagayan ng ating kalikasan. Habang nagtatayo tayo ng mga modernong imprastruktura, habang inaangat natin ang ating ekonomiya, at habang dumadami ang bilang ng mga sasakyan, kailangan hindi nakakalimutan ang kalikasan.”
With the greening of JASA, air quality in the area is expected to be improved.
“Ang pinaka-goal ng ating aktibidad ay mabawasan yung epekto ng climate change sa siyudad at ma-improve yung air quality. Alam naman natin na yung papel ng mga halaman sa ating kapaligiran ay mag-absorb ng mga toxic gases,” said city environmental management specialist Juliuzar Pasion.
Pasion said 1.5 kilometers of the median strip of JASA will be planted with shrubs and bushes, including hibiscus varigata, golden pandacaqui, green pandacaqui, golden miagos, pandanus, dwarf camoning, and lemon top.
City-based Wilson’s Instant Tree Bank, a partner of the city government in its urban greening program for the past years, has been tapped anew for the JASA greening.
“One of our main objectives sa Wilson’s is to provide support sa mga urban greening programs ng mga local government units, kabilang na ang San Fernando. We are glad na nakuha natin ang proyekto dahil magagawa nating matamasa yung ating misyon na maipalaganap ang environmental protection, tree planting, at greening efforts,” said owner and manager Benson Aboujafari.
Wilson’s will also take charge of the maintenance of the plants.
Apart from the JASA project, the city government has also existing greening projects along Aquino By-Way Tourism Road in Sindalan, the city civic center in San Isidro, and the central materials recovery facility in Lara. With CSFP-CIO
*Photos courtesy of CSFP-CIO
