To support a national tree-planting initiative, all 47,678 public schools in the Philippines run by the Department of Education (DepEd) will switch to asynchronous classrooms on December 6. Included in the project “DepEd’s 236,000 Trees: A Christmas Gift for the Children,” this program will benefit all 47,678 public schools under the DepEd umbrella. It is anticipated that every school will plant five trees, with a goal of planting around 236,000 trees. The initiative is in line with the “Pagbabago: A Million Trees Campaign,” which is an initiative of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), DepEd, and the Office of the Vice President.
DepEd Regional Offices and DENR will work together to give seedlings, which should be natural species that bear fruit or mangroves. Schools can use their nurseries or make requests to the local environmental agencies if the DENR is unavailable.
The tree-planting teams at each school will consist of staff, teachers, and students, and the number of participants will be restricted to 30 per school. Although the activity is mostly meant to take place on school property, if space permits, it may also take place at parks or other protected spaces. This environmental project highlights how crucial community engagement and hands-on environmental education are to sustainability initiatives.
NOV 17 2023
DepEd MEMORANDUM No. 069 s. 2023
GUIDELINES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT “DEPED’S 236,000 TREES- A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR THE CHILDREN”
TO:
Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau and Service Director
Schools Division Superintendents
All Others Concerned
1. The Department of Education (DepEd) launches the Project entitled DepEd’s 236,000 Trees A Christmas Gift for the Children. This is an initiative that aims to promote environmental preservation and instill environmental responsibility among Filipino children. The project will simultaneously plant over 236,000 trees in different parts of the country, with the participation of DepEd 47,678 public schools. This project serves as a gift from the Department to ensure a clean and green environment for Filipino children and future generations.
2 The project provides a unique educational opportunity for students to actively participate in tree planting activities, fostering a deeper understanding of environmental issues and promoting conservation efforts. Through hands-on learning and practical application of environmental concepts, students will develop a strong sense of responsibility towards the environment.
3. In addition to the educational benefits, planting trees will contribute to the beautification of school grounds. Trees provide shade, improve air quality, and create a calming atmosphere, enhancing the overall ambience of the school and creating a more pleasant and conducive learning environment for students.
4. Furthermore, planting trees has numerous health benefits. Trees absorb harmful pollutants from the air and release oxygen, leading to improved air quality. This creates a healthier environment for students, teachers, and staff, reducing the risk of respiratory diseases and promoting overall well-being.
5. The enclosed guidelines have been established to ensure the successful implementation of DepEd’s 236,000 Trees- A Christmas Gift for the Children.
7. Immediate dissemination of this Memorandum is desired.
SARA Z DUTERTE
Secretary of the Department of Education
GUIDELINES ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT “DEPED’S 236,000 TREES – A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR THE CHILDREN”
1. Target Date of the Tree-Planting Activity. The tree-planting activity by the different schools will take place simultaneously on December 6, 2023. All 47,678 DepEd public schools will participate, with each school planting a minimum of 5 trees, contributing to the goal of planting over 236,000 trees nationwide.
Classes in all DepEd public schools will be on asynchronous mode for this day.
2. Acquisition of Seedlings. Each DepEd Regional Office (RO) will coordinate with its counterparts at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to acquire seedlings for each school in the region. This coordination aligns with the Memorandum of Agreement among the Office of the Vice President, DENR, and DepEd for the program titled Pagbabago: A Million Trees Campaign. The distribution of seedlings to each school should be completed by November 29, 2023.
The seedlings for the trees must be fruit-bearing trees, Philippine native species trees, or mangroves if the school selects a coastal area as a venue for the tree planting activity. The RO shall coordinate with DENR to determine the ideal type of trees to be planted in consideration of the area of the venue.
If the DENR cannot provide the seedlings, schools with nurseries may use their own seedlings or they can request directly from their local City/Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office.
3. Composition of Participants for Each School. Each participating school shall designate a team consisting of teachers, learners, and staff members responsible for planning, implementing, and reporting on the tree-planting efforts. The team should include at least one teacher-in-charge and student representatives.
There should be no more than 10 teachers and not more than 20 learners who will participate in the activity. Only a maximum number of 30 individuals should join the tree planting.
4. Implementation of the Tree-Planting Activity and Care for Trees. Schools should consider the necessary resources for the activity, such as tree-planting tools and materials for tree care. However, it should be emphasized that there is no need to buy the materials for the tree planting activity.
Ideally, the school grounds will serve as the venue for the activity. However, if space is limited, the School Head should find an alternative area such as barangay parks, local government unit parks, marine protected areas, or any other open space near the school that may be used for tree planting. In this case, the School Head shall coordinate with their barangay unit to determine an alternative area for the tree planting activity.
Schools within close proximity to each other may share a venue for the tree planting.
A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR THE CHILDREN”
