Inspired by Community Pantries, Philippines Launches 'Community PanTREE' for Greening

LUCENA CITY — Inspired by the community pantries that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in western Batangas has launched the Community PanTREE initiative, providing free tree seedlings to residents to promote environmental stewardship and food security. “From community food pantries to a green Community PanTREE,” the DENR said. Modeled after the 2021 community pantry movement, the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Calaca City distributes free native and fruit-bearing tree seedlings to local communities. “This initiative aims to boost environmental sustainability, enhance self-sufficiency, and improve food security by encouraging the planting of fruit-bearing trees and native species,” the DENR said. Community pantries became a symbol of solidarity during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, when volunteers across the country established food-sharing stations to help families affected by prolonged lockdowns. READ: Community pantries return for PUV drivers amid oil crisis READ: Community pantry: ‘Not charity, but mutual aid’ Building on that spirit of volunteerism, CENRO Calaca rolled out the Community PanTREE program in 2025 across Calaca City and the municipalities of San Luis, Lemery, Taal, Laurel, Agoncillo, Balayan, Lian, Tuy, Calatagan, and Nasugbu. The DENR said the initiative has since expanded to cover all 13 municipalities under CENRO Calaca in line with this year’s observance of Philippine Arbor Day. Aside from distributing seedlings, the program encourages residents to establish backyard gardens and adopt agroforestry practices to help mitigate climate change while promoting sustainable livelihoods. Meanwhile, the DENR-Calabarzon reported that 488,280 native, indigenous, and fruit-bearing seedlings and saplings were distributed and planted during this year’s observance of Philippine Arbor Day. Thousands of volunteers from government agencies, local government units, schools, private companies, and civic organizations participated in simultaneous tree-planting activities at 96 sites across the region’s 144 cities and municipalities. The activities, led by DENR-Calabarzon Regional Executive Director Henry Adornado, also marked the regional launch of the DENR’s nationwide Luntiang Bukas campaign, which seeks to integrate forest restoration, urban greening, and community participation to strengthen environmental protection and climate resilience. “Luntiang Bukas is more than a campaign. It is a call for every Filipino to become a partner in building a greener, healthier, and more climate-resilient Philippines,” DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said in a message. “Because when we talk about a greener tomorrow, we are ultimately talking about better lives for our people,” he added. Philippine Arbor Day is observed every June 25 through nationwide tree-planting and environmental activities. The annual observance was institutionalized under Proclamation No. 643, signed in 2004, to promote tree planting, forest conservation, and environmental stewardship and encourage the participation of government agencies, local government units, schools, civic organizations, and the public in reforestation and greening efforts. /mcm