Isabela Fruit Trees Project: Teaching our homeschooled kids about the environment and our Fellowmen.

Tree Planting: Isabela Fruit Trees Project

It has been my desire to have a regular tree planting activity to help rehabilitate the forests of our province, Negros Occidental. It’s my desire to buy a parcel of land (if only I can afford it) and plant it with trees and make it a reserve.

But I don’t want just a usual other tree planting activity because I don’t want to plant trees and just leave them there.

By God’s direction I was led to the Isabela Fruit Trees Project through a college friend, November Canieso-Yeo. The project is currently ongoing in the Municipality of Isabela. This was started by Mr. Victorino “Bitoy” Siazon with a PhP 100,000 funding.

Thousands of Trees Planted

With that amount, Mr. Siazon had several thousands of fruit trees planted in six (6) barangays, as follows:

• Brgy. Riverside – 500 Rambutan seedlings
• Brgy. Sebucauan – 450 Jackfruuit seedlings
• Brgy. Makilignit – 300 Abio seedlings
• Brgy. San Agustin – 500 Babana seedlings
• Brgy. Tinongan – 600 Calamansi seedlings
• Brgy. Banog-banog – 100 Abio seedlings

Now, the project has taken off and they have now planted about 6,000 seedlings across a total of 16 barangays.

The main objectives of this project: 

• 1. Plant 4 trees (of 1 type) per household in all 15 barangays of Isabela;
• 2. Provide additional food source for residents through the harvest of these trees;
• 3. Provide additional income source for residents (barangays will become fruit baskets of Isabela); and
• 4. Provide convenience to buyers of different type of fruits because buyers only need to visit 1 barangay to buy a particular fruit.

Not Reforestation

While this tree planting activity is not exactly for reforestation, it will still contribute in greening Isabela, which is a part of the province. And also, I like the idea because the trees will have owners–they are not left to fend for themselves in the wild. This gives the trees a good chance of survival. It has a socio-economic impact as well.

• Related: Choosing to Homeschool Our Children

So I thought, it would be a good idea to have our kids participate in this. So last Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017, the members of the Bacolod Homeschoolers Network and our families set out for an almost 2-hour drive to Brgy. Tinongan, Isabela, Negros Occidental. A total of 16 homeschooling kids joined the event.

We bought the calamansi (Philippine lime) from them at P35 each. The seedlings are from marcotting, so in about a year, the residents will already be able to harvest fruits from them. Furthermore, we were given an orientation on how to plant the seedlings on ensure a higher chance of survival.

Appreciation from the Mayor

Meanwhile, Isabela Mayor Joselito Malabor was very happy of our little project. He came over along with his staff. He also planted trees with the kids and was able to greet the residents.

We are also very thankful to him to providing us with police escorts during the activity.

Our kids had a total of eight seedlings, which we planted in the backyard of four locals. We also gave them loaves of bread. We then had a potluck lunch afterwards.

The World is Our Classroom

Homeschooling in Bacolod does not limit our kids nor confine them in our homes. We go out and do our share in the community because the world is our classroom. This is just the first of our future field trips in learning more about our environment.

For more information on this project or how you could help, message them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isabelanegoccfruittrees/