SOLDIERS from the 60th Infantry (Mediator) Battalion conducted a simultaneous tree-planting initiative in several locations on August 19, including Sitio Mondol, Brgy Gupitan, Kapalong; Purok 3, Datu Davao, Laak in Davao del Norte; and Sitio Kalimutan, San Vicente, Loreto in Agusan del Sur.
The soldiers collaborated with the community to plant 2,750 fruit-bearing and hardwood trees, including Rambutan, Durian, Mangosteen, Narra, Bacan, Calumpit, and Dau.
This effort demonstrates the battalion’s commitment to environmental protection and enhancing community well-being.
“We pray that the residents will nurture these trees and help them grow, as reforestation is one of the local government’s programs,” said Mayor Timbol of Kapalong, emphasizing the community’s role in ensuring the initiative’s success.
Rowee Mahilum from YFPM San Isidro expressed the potential benefits of the project, saying, “This will have a significant impact on the people of Sitio Mondol because in the future they will gain a lot from this.”
Bae Gemma Rarangol, the Indigenous Peoples’ Municipal Representative (IPMR) of Kapalong, assured that tribal leaders and residents would actively care for and protect the newly planted trees.
“This tree-growing activity is part of the 60IB’s broader mission to promote ecological balance and support sustainable development, especially in areas near the Pantaron Range,” said Second Lieutenant Desiree Bless Lucero, Acting Civil-Military Operations Officer of 60IB.
“We recognize that the Pantaron Range is a protected area known for its cultural and biological diversity, and it was once a stronghold of the New People’s Army (NPA),” Lucero said.
The activity was a collaborative effort involving the local government unit of Kapalong and garnered strong support from the Provincial Government of Davao del Norte, government agencies, the Fraternal Order of Eagles Club- Asuncion Chapter, local youths, and Kalinaw- SEMR.
Photo courtesy of 60th Infantry Battalion
