A new Filipino law requires all graduating high school and college students to plant at least 10 trees each before they can graduate. The law formalises a tradition of planting trees upon graduation, which is also hoped to simultaneously combat global climate change.
The
proponents of the law say the legislation could result in as many as 525
billion trees planted in a generation if it is properly adhered to.
The
Philippines’
Magdalo Party representative Gary Alejano, who was the principal author of the
legislation, said: "With over 12 million students graduating from
elementary and nearly five million students graduating from high school and
almost 500,000 graduating from college each year, this initiative, if properly
implemented, will ensure that at least 175 million new trees would be planted
each year.
“In
the course of one generation, no less than 525 billion can be planted under
this initiative,” Mr Alejano said in the bill's explanatory note.