Vegetable farmers seek to re-green tree-less farms

By Maurice Malanes

BUGUIAS, Benguet – Vegetable farmers, who have transformed a forested plateau into commercial vegetable plots, now want to bring back the trees into their land, which used to be mossy and pine forests. 

“I hope these trees you planted return the green cover of this community,” said Henry Bataclao, a vegetable farmer now in his 80s. 

The father of nine and grandfather of 15 last September 29 was thanking staff members of the Cordillera Green Network (CGN), a Baguio-based environmental nongovernment organization, which the residents of Amgaleygey Barangay contacted to help them to reforest their community.

As chair of the newly formed Caaduan Elders Association, Bataclao said the community’s reforestation project was long overdue. 

“Our farm lands are already eroding and topsoil is being washed to the sea so it’s really time to bring back the trees,” also said Benita Botiw-an-Bataclao, a retired Department of Education district supervisor of Buguias. “Our problem then was where to get seedlings, but thanks to CGN.”

Taking advantage of the rains of this year’s last quarter, residents and CGN staff, who accompanied five young Japanese and six Koreans (all enrolled in various English classes in Baguio) on September 29 participated in planting some seedlings of caliandra (a fast-growing and nitrogen-fixing tree), alnus, and pine seedlings.

CGN provided 9,500 caliandra, 5,000 alnus and 2,000 pine seedlings.  These seedlings were targeted to be planted on the edges of garden plots in a seven-hectare property owned by the Bataclao clan.

“I appreciate your decision to plant trees in your vegetable farms,” CGN executive director Mariko Sorimachi told leaders and members of the Caaduan Elders Association.  “Your vegetable farms may have given you good income but you must also face other problems like where to get your water.”

Also partnering with CGN is the Kiyosato Educational Experiment Project (KEEP), a Japanese faith-based socio-economic and environmental undertaking. 

The recent tree-planting activity in Buguias was one among CGN and KEEP’s projects supported by the Green Fund of the National Land Afforestation Promotion Organization in Japan, which funds reforestation efforts.

The community association and CGN also signed a memorandum of agreement under which the association leaders and members committed to ensure survival of the seedlings planted.