MANILA, (PNA) — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Corazon Jimenez said on Sunday that the agency has planted 40,000 tress at the 73-hectare San Mateo Landfill Facility in Barangay Pintong Bukawe, San Mateo, Rizal.
Jimenez said the tree planting activity is part of the agency’s contribution to the ongoing National Greening Program of the national government which aims to plant 1.5 billion trees in 1.5 million hectares of land within five years.
She said the number is almost half of the total 100,000 trees the agency hopes to plant.
The planting of trees was spearheaded by the MMDA personnel and those from various non-government organizations (NGOs), she added.
Since the landfill closed in 2000, it has remained idle and needs rehabilitation that planting of trees is one of the measures being made to prevent soil erosion.
The facility was opened to accept garbage from residents of Metro Manila in 1991.
The MMDA has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) enjoining the two government agencies in the conduct of a sustained tree-planting activity in the area.
The objective of the MOA is for the MMDA and the DENR and their partners from NGOs and civil society organizations to plant at least 100, 000 saplings until December this year.