05/06/2026
𝗔𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮-𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗼
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭. 𝘓𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴, 𝘴𝘰𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳—𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭.
The world shares a common fault: an indifference clinging to the ideal that trees remain a resource to be exploited rather than a life to be taken care of. It is a truth universally acknowledged that trees carry abundant riches that are crucial for the development and maintenance of human civilization. There is no denying that.
The error of the world lies in its inability to cater to a sustainable and more eco-friendly management. Such behavior deprives protection from the vulnerable. Trees seldom remain where shade, stability, and water absorption are needed. It goes where the most money can be pocketed.
Our country is no stranger to this ailment of thought and action. Just recently, DENR sought to cut 617 trees along Quirino Avenue or prepare them for relocation for the sake of so-called "development." The construction of highway infrastructure and the addition of more school chairs had a bolder definition of development than the well-being of both the lives of the residents and trees. Consequently, the project received a significant amount of backlash and protest—both physically and online—which proved effective in its aim to obstruct the massacre of more trees.
Though it will not bring back the trees that had already been cut or relocated—once there was cool shade where the blaze now penetrates. The relief it now offers is the opportunity to feel more potently the burn in your skin and the excess water in the streets. There are still people who are stripped of its ever-caring utility; its compensation is blatantly insufficient. Tens of thousands more seedlings elsewhere wouldn't immediately make up for the loss deep enough to make infrastructure and material gain become obsolete in the face of vulnerability.
No fault must be left unnoticed.
No foolishness must remain unashamed.
And no sickness ought to be left untreated.
It is precisely these conditions that cultivate a generation that, by the passage of time, has a degrading appreciation and value for Mother Earth.
What can we do as a student-led organization to help address the root cause of the problem? To speak and write about it is advantageous, though not entirely sufficient. A proactive approach to protect and cultivate green spaces is needed. To “move from a human-centered jurisprudence to an earth-centered one," as stated by Thomas Berry.
We can fulfill our role in this fight for a greener Earth by reminding students of their duty and place in nature: that we are not an entity separate from the vibrant and diverse physical realm that is nature but rather a critical part of it. That is what we first seek to develop and accomplish.
Hence, in order to plant the seeds of care in the minds of the youth and instill in them the values of environmental cultivation and preservation, the NCSHS YES-O Club successfully conducted a tree planting activity titled “Berdeng Narra-Tibo” around the campus of Naga City Science High School this June 4 for the Brigada Eskwela 2026. With 14 volunteers, along with the extensive help of kuya Obana (a utility member) and the remarkable guidance of Ma’am Alicia Naag, the club planted a total of 27 seedlings. Specifically, 15 Narra seedlings, 10 Mulberry seedlings, 1 Pili seedling, and 1 Liberica coffee seedling.
We express our sincerest gratitude to Dr. Llorin, Dr. Baturiano, Mrs. Joan Villegas, and Mrs. Alicia Naag for their involvement and the donation of trees. We would also like to thank the volunteers for taking part in this project. This activity would not have been possible without your support and participation.
And for every accomplishment of this club that is celebrated, there are advocacies to be stated.
We shall plant trees even if we do not expect to find relief in their shade or have a taste of the fruits it will bear. It is for the sake of the Earth, the environment, and the prosperity of the future along with all life that inhabits it.
𝘼𝙠𝙤 𝙖𝙩 𝙆𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙣,
𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖 𝙨𝙖 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙪𝙠𝙖𝙨𝙖𝙣.
Photos by Miji Aniko Nacario
