By Daniel P. Tapaoan, Jr. 

Creating more green areas at Mariano Marcos State University, the university community planted more trees around the Sunken Garden and University Library today, August 1. 

Dr. Shirley C. Agrupis led the planting of 150 flowering and fruit-bearing species in the 1,350-square meter vicinities this morning. Joining her were university administrators, faculty, staff, and students. 

An immediate response to the effects of Supertyphoon Egay, this year’s tree-planting activity also coincided with PSCA’s first day of her seventh year as MMSU president.

She thanked the MMSU constituents for “sustaining our tradition of promoting sustainable campus areas through tree planting.” This is a significant part of creating a vibrant and engaging, culturally-focused university campus, one of her ACHIEVE agenda. 

The university president also expressed high hopes that this advocacy would continue so the university would attain its long-term goal of creating a microclimate zone in the future. 

Dr. Joselito Rosario, campus executive director, said the areas around Sunken Garden and Main Library were selected as venues for this year’s tree-planting activity to further increase their number of native species and to enhance their biodiversity. “We also aim to provide shades and windbreaks which will benefit the whole MMSU community,” he added. 

Collected from phenotypically superior mother trees from the wild, the trees were raised and carefully taken care of in the Clonal Nursery at the MMSU College of Agriculture, Food and Sustainable Development. 

Earlier this year, native tree and bamboo species were also planted at the Biodiversity Conservation Learning Center and Leisure Park to start establishing a health and wellness tourism hub in the main campus. 

The annual activity started in 2018 with the launching of the Green Wall project in the Batac campus. Then, more trees were planted at Nagbacsan site, and in the Currimao, Dingras, and Laoag campuses. 

These activities serve as the university's contribution to the provincial government’s project, ‘Green Wall of Ilocos Norte,’ and the National Greening Program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. (HLY/JVBT, StratCom)