PIA Press Release
Tuesday, January 24, 2012

OFW families, scholars join city’s re-greening effort

BAGUIO CITY, Jan. 24 (PIA) -- Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) leaders, families and scholars, in partnership with the Overseas Workers Administration Cordillera Regional Welfare Office (OWWA-CAR) showed their care for the environment as they joined the city’s re-greening effort through a tree-planting and clean-up drive in a tree park here last January 21.

The activity was held in a remote part of Burnham Park, along Kisad road near the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) Building, which is adopted by Baguio-Benguet Federation of OFWs Returnees and Dependents(BBFORD) as well as other OWWA member OFW families and scholars, for reforestation and maintenance to ensure that the planted trees in the area will survive.

OWWA Regional Director Manuela Peña, in an interview, said the activity aims to instill civic consciousness and environment-friendly values to OFWs and their dependents, and it is also in support to city's greening program.

“We have here today our (OWWA-CAR) personnel, OFW leaders, including their families and some of our OWWA scholars. Our objective here, aside from supporting the city greening and eco-tourism program, is to campaign against cutting of trees and inculcating good values to our OFWs and their families, by involving them in preserving the environment in this part of the city," Peña stressed.

According to Peña, the BBFORD started the move to adopt the said area of Burnham Park in 2010 through a tree-planting activity and that they are there again to show their commitment to sustain what they have started.

OWWA scholar Ahmed Abdullah Khayef, a BS Information Technology graduate presently working at Texas Instrument – Baguio, in an interview, expressed his willingness to support the program.

“I am happy to be here, to help in such OWWA led environmental program. Even if our parents are working abroad, we are representing them in this activity, which in a way shows our willingness to support other people, in caring for the environmen," he stressed.

The activity was monitored by City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) Regreening, reforestation section chief Walter Aguirre. He bared that as the OWWA- led OFW group has shown its commitment to re-green and maintain the tree park, the city government, through their office will prepare a memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for a formal adoption of the park. (JDP/LD-PIA CAR)