ABOUT 2,000 students and employees of the MMSU main campus in Batac have probably set a provincial record last July 30 for the most number of fruit-bearing tree seedlings planted simultaneously that kicked off a massive tree planting program in the city.

Each participant planted a grafted seedling of either calamansi or duhat alongside of the more than two-kilometer stretch of a peripheral road that connects barangays Quiling Sur and Tabug. Observers said this kind of effort probably beat previous tree planting activities of other schools and government agencies in the province in previous years.

The CAFSD, which was tasked to spearhead the activity, planted around 1,700 grafted seedlings, while a little less than 300 seedlings were planted by the staff of the research and extension directorates in separate areas in Sitio Nagbacsan in Brgy. Tabug.

The planting of the university-owned areas is intended not only to stop soil erosion and restore the beauty of the surroundings, but also to produce quality fruits which might support the other income-generating projects of MMSU.

This simultaneous activity was also in compliance to a nationwide directive to implement the Tree Planting Law outlined in Presidential Decree No. 1153 that calls every Filipino citizen to help, as duty and obligation, to conserve and develop the resources of the country.

Meanwhile, this simple act of planting a tree helps the environment in so many ways such as filtering pollution from the air, helping recycle water in the ecosystem, preventing soil erosion, creating shades, giving shelter from wind and rain, providing homes for birds and other tiny animals, making food for humans and wildlife, and providing an interesting, soothing, and learning environment for people.

In silviculture, the activity is otherwise known as reforestation, or afforestation, depending on whether the area being planted has or has not recently been forested. It involves planting seedlings in an area where trees have been harvested or damaged by natural calamities, fire, diseases, or pests.

Because trees remove carbon dioxide from the air as they grow, tree planting can be a wholesome activity in cleaning the air.

Last year, another tree planting activity was carried out by members of the MMSU Association of Non-teaching and Administrative Personnel around the Administration Building using grafted seedlings of the MMSU Gold mango variety.