Cebu City launches coastal tree-planting drive ‘at the right place, right tide’

Local

THE Cebu City Government on Friday, July 25, launched its ambitious “256K Trees” campaign by planting around 5,000 mangroves along the backroads of the South Road Properties (SRP), a day ahead of the International Day for the Conservation of Mangroves.

The coastal planting marks the first official activity under the city’s target to plant 256,000 trees across Cebu during the current administration.

John Joeffrey Dabatos Jr., project head of 256K Trees, said the timing of the launch was deliberate, with planting scheduled during low tide to allow for better access and visibility.

“Today is the lowest tide that we still have daylight,” he said. “Because tomorrow, the low tide is at around 7 p.m., so we happened to schedule this day.”

The planting drew participants from multiple barangays, city departments, civic groups, and private organizations, many of whom joined on short notice. According to Dabatos, the turnout reflected broad support for the city’s greening push.

“We didn’t really push for people to come—they actually came,” he said.

According to forestry staff, an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 mangrove propagules were planted during the launch, mostly of the Bacau (Rhizophora) species, which are native and suitable for local coastal conditions.

Tagging of seedlings was originally planned but postponed due to time constraints. Organizers said a sustainable tagging method will be implemented during follow-up visits.

The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO), together with the project team, will lead aftercare efforts and coordinate with participating groups to revisit planting sites in the coming months to monitor survival and growth.

The campaign’s next activities will take place in upland barangays and inland areas. A tree planting in Barangay Pardo is scheduled for August 9, led by Alpha Phi Omega, while another event is being planned in Barangay Guba.

Dabatos said the city is now coordinating closely with the City Planning and Development Office and the Department of Public Works and Highways-Central Visayas (DPWH-7) to ensure that reforestation efforts align with development plans, particularly in SRP.

An emergency meeting was held earlier Friday to ensure no interference with existing infrastructure works near the planting area.

The 256K Trees program was first announced by Mayor Nestor Archival Sr. in June during the city’s World Environment Day celebration. The target number, 256,000, symbolizes the votes he received in the May 2025 elections.(TGP)