DFA Promotes Biodiversity through Tree Planting Activity with ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity
From left to right: Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim, Assistant Secretary Daniel R. Espiritu, and UP Los Baños Chancellor Jose V. Camacho Jr. spearheading the tree planting activity at the ACB Headquarters.
LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA 22 August 2022 – The Department of Foreign Affairs - Office of ASEAN Affairs, in cooperation with the University of the Philippines - Los Baños, and the ASEAN Center for Biodiversity, held the ASEAN Tree Planting and Family Day event on 20 August 2022 at the ACB Headquarters and the University of the Philippines Los Baños Baker Field.
DFA - Office of ASEAN Affairs Assistant Secretary Daniel R. Espiritu, who also serves as the Director-General of the ASEAN-Philippine Secretariat, was joined by University of the Philippines - Los Baños Chancellor Jose V. Camacho Jr., ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity Executive Director Theresa Mundita S. Lim, and the ambassadors and Chargé d’Affaires of the embassies of ASEAN Member States in Manila in the tree-planting activity that aimed to raise awareness on conservation, promote protection for the ecosystem, and commit to act on the continuous preservation of biodiversity.
In his Keynote Remarks, Assistant Secretary Espiritu emphasized the partnership of the Department and the ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) in promoting the preservation of the environment. He also commended ACB for continuing to support ASEAN Member States in the region-wide efforts to address biodiversity loss in marine and terrestrial ecosystems, helping to manage designated protected areas, and many more critical areas of contribution.
The delegates planted several native and endemic tree species specifically selected by the ACB to support the native lauan trees located at the ACB Headquarter grounds. The tree planting activity is in line with the aims of the ASEAN Green Initiative (AGI), the Green Initiative led by ACB encourages the 10 ASEAN Member-States to plant 10 million trees in the span of 10 years as part of the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.
The venue of the day’s activities, ACB Headquarters and UPLB, are located in the Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, one of the nine ASEAN Heritage Parks under the stewardship of the ACB.
The Tree Planting Activity was followed by the ASEAN Family Day at the UPLB-Baker Field where the families and children of AMS diplomats joined the officers and staff of the DFA’s Office of ASEAN Affairs and their families for a morning of fun, science experiments, musical entertainment, traditional ASEAN games, group dancing, and a potluck or salo-salo where everyone tasted the different ASEAN delicacies generously shared by the participants. END
Assistant Secretary Daniel R. Espiritu joined by the ASEAN Ambassadors, Charge De Affaires, a.i., and Dr. Theresa Mundita Lim for the traditional handshake at the ASEAN Family Day Event.