Planting of Tree Every Month by Every Citizen of the Philippines

June 6, 1977

PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 1153

REQUIRING THE PLANTING OF ONE TREE EVERY MONTH FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS BY EVERY CITIZEN OF THE PHILIPPINES

WHEREAS, more abundant natural resources, particularly forest resources, will prevent floods, droughts, erosion and sedimentation, and will increase our water supply needed to generate more power, expand farm productivity, and meet the ever increasing demand for domestic consumption of our exploding population; and acd

WHEREAS, to achieve a holistic ecosystem approach to forest resource management, to prevent irreversible consequences of human activities on the environment, and to promote a healthier ecosystem for our people, it is time to make an urgent call upon our citizenry to plant trees;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order and decree the following:

SECTION 1. It is the policy of the State to call upon every citizen of the Philippines to help, as a duty and obligation, to conserve and develop the resources of the country.

SECTION 2. In furtherance of said policy, every citizen of the Philippines at least ten (10) years of age, actually residing therein, unless physically disabled to do so, shall plant one tree every month for five (5) consecutive years.

SECTION 3. The planting of such trees shall be done in any of the following places:

a) In lands or lots owned by his family;

b) In lands or lots leased by his family with the consent of the owner thereof;

c) In lands which are parts of public grounds or places such as plazas, schools, markets, roadside and parks; and

d) In lands of the public domain designated by the Presidential Council for Forest Ecosystem Management, hereafter referred to as the Council, such as appropriate forest lands, grazing or pasture lands, mineral lands, resettlement lands, civil and military reservations.

SECTION 4. The trees to be planted shall be fruit-bearing, shade, ornamental or forest trees, and the same shall be taken care of for at least two years after each planting and replaced if the same die, are diseased or are defective.

SECTION 5. The Council, in consultation with the appropriate government agencies, shall issue such rules and regulations which may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Decree and Letter of Instruction No. 423 whenever applicable.

SECTION 6. Any person who violates any provision of this Decree or any rule or regulation promulgated thereunder shall be punished with a fine of not more than one thousand pesos or, in appropriate cases, with disqualification to acquire or enjoy any privilege granted exclusively to citizens of the Philippines, such as the acquisition either through sale, free patent, homestead, or lease of public lands, enjoyment of a franchise to own or operate a public utility or the grant of lease, license or a privilege involving natural resources; and for a period of five years be disqualified to hold public office, to graduate from any educational institution at all levels, to take any bar, board or civil service examination, and to practice any profession licensed and regulated by the Supreme Court or the Professional Regulation Commission. cdt

SECTION 7. This Decree shall take effect upon its promulgation.

DONE in the City of Manila, this 6th day of June, in the year of Our Lord, Nineteen Hundred and Seventy-Seven.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 73 No. 36 Page 8350 on September 5, 1977.