CABANATUAN CITY – Upon prodding of the a bishop, some 6,000 members of the Catholic-based Knights of Columbus and their families in Nueva Ecija will devote a year in tree-planting and environmental protection activities.
The organization which has councils in all parish churches has been into reforestation program, along with its church and community services, but a pitch was made by Bishop Sofronio Bancud of the Diocese of Cabanatuan in a recent meeting with ranking officials, said Gil Dindo Berino, chairman of the so-called roundtable of the district deputies.
“Bishop Bancud wants us to be more vigilant in attending to the issue of climate change, especially after habagat wrought havoc in many parts of our country,” Berino said addressing newly installed officers and members of the Mother of Perpetual Help Parish here.
He stressed that the church has adopted more than a hundred hectares of reforestation areas in Sitio Bacao, Barangay Doña Josefa in Palayan City. The place is under the stewardship of Rev. Fr. Chito Beltran.
“No one can ignore the effects of forest denudation, translated into climate change that equals to disaster,’ he said.
Berino said their members will set batches of members and councils for a more effective implementation of the program.
But their members and families were urged to plant trees in their backyards, too.
“It’s not only in identified reforestation areas that we should do re-greening of our environment,” he stressed. “We can plant trees of any varieties right in our backyard,” he said.
The K of C in Nueva Ecija has been climbing the peak of Taclang Damulag, the highest mountain inside the Fort Ramon Magsaysay in Palayan City for an environmental campaign.
Beltran said some local government units, schools, church-based organizations and civic groups have been conducting reforestation in Sitio Bacao.
The area boasts of two waterfalls.
More than 100 families from Angeles City who were relocated due to Mt. Pinatubo eruption help Beltran in maintaining the place as well as producing seedlings of fruit-bearing trees.
“This year will be marked with intensified tree planting an environmental protection activities among us,” Berino said. The organization’s calendar starts on July.
Padre Crisostomo Council 6000 led by Grand Knight Amado Cortez, has conducted a series of tree planting activities, particularly in Sitio Bacao.
