Youth leaders, students, farmers and fisherfolk in Santa Fe, Cebu joined the Climate Change Commission in a tree-growing activity aimed at strengthening ecosystem-based adaptation and local climate resilience.

The initiative resulted in the planting of 33 Molave saplings, a native tree species seen as vital in promoting community-driven, nature-based solutions in vulnerable island municipalities such as Santa Fe.

The activity forms part of ongoing collaboration between the CCC and local government units in Cebu to reduce vulnerability and localize climate preparedness efforts across island towns.

“This activity demonstrates how local action, especially with strong youth participation, can deliver tangible climate solutions on the ground,” said CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje. “Beyond planting trees, we are planting the seeds of education and values formation that are building a generation of Filipinos with a keen sense of respect, responsibility, and stewardship for nature and ecology.”

“Climate resilience is ultimately built by people through informed communities, empowered youth, and leaders willing to act decisively,” Borje emphasized. “If we nurture both our ecosystems and our values today, we secure not only stronger landscapes but also a more climate-resilient nation for generations to come.”

Student leader Tristan James N. Pacilan of the Supreme Secondary Learner Government of Santa Fe National High School underscored the importance of grassroots involvement in climate action.

“As someone who has experienced the wrath of a disaster, it is important to realize that it is also us, the people at the community level, who are also one of the root causes of the problem. So now, with the Supreme Secondary Learner Government joining this small initiative of planting trees, we believe that our micro efforts will grow a macro effect,” Pacilan said.

Since 2022, the CCC has actively led reforestation and tree-growing initiatives, including the Net Zero Challenge. The Commission has planted around 6,000 trees nationwide, with recent efforts conducted in Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat as part of its campaign to localize climate action.

The tree-growing activity in Santa Fe aligns with the government’s broader climate and development agenda under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and supports the National Adaptation Plan, which promotes resilience through strategies such as reforestation and community-based climate action.

The CCC said it will continue working with local governments and communities to mainstream climate initiatives, strengthen environmental stewardship and accelerate the country’s transition toward a climate-smart and sustainable future.