Bishop Socrates Mesiona, who led the initiative, told Fides News Agency the work of plantation took two days and involved the villages of Sagpake’n and Bayog, part of the Vicariate which covers the island of Palawan. 

The goal of the endeavor, which will last a year, is to plant 10.000 trees in the protected area of Monte Mantalingahan, an area inhabited only by Indigenous locals. “In the spirit of Pope Francis’ Laudato Si, we are all called to play our part to care for our common home,” said the Bishop.