Mindanao sets world record for trees planted

The Philippines has set another world record, this time for the most number of trees planted simultaneously in multiple locations.

 

Guinness World Records officially acknowledged the achievement, citing Mindanao on its website as of Monday.

 

"The most trees planted simultaneously at multiple locations is 2,294,629, achieved by 122,168 participants in an event organized by TreeVolution: Greening MindaNOW (Philippines), at 29 locations across the Philippines on 26 September 2014," it said.

 

It said the event involved the planting of rubber, cacao, coffee, timber and mahogany trees, and a range of fruit trees and other species indigenous to the Philippines.

 

Mindanao Development Authority head Luwalhati Antonino said this "is a huge feat for all Mindanawons, especially the volunteers and partners, particularly the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) who showed overwhelming support in successful conduct of TreeVolution."

 

"We express our heartfelt gratitude to all those who participated in the event. Their involvement has made this historic event even more meaningful," she said.

 

Antonino said the Guinness committee's strict verification process recognized only 2,294,629 out of the four million trees planted.

 

Still, she said this exceeded the previous record of India by more than 300,000 trees.

 

"More importantly, this official number from Guinness does not in any way reduce the long-term impacts of the actual 4 million trees planted in over 7,800 hectares of land all over Mindanao," she said.

 

Forest cover

 

More importantly, Antonino said the four million seedlings planted add one percent to Mindanao’s target forest cover by 2016.

 

Once matured, these trees can supply oxygen to around 16 million people daily, or 75 percent of the total Mindanao population, she said.

 

Antonino said the success of TreeVolution goes beyond the Guinness World Record, as it showed Mindanao folk "can unite for a common good, and that, we, Mindanawons, can truly become one for the environment." — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News