The tree-growing activity spearheaded by the Antique provincial government aimed to plant some 1,000 endemic seedlings at the micro-watershed in Barangay Sinundolan in the municipality of San Remigio on June 27.

Board Member Pio Jessielito Sumande Sr., chair of the committee on the environment at the provincial board, said they would plant species like banaba, tapuyay, narra and molave in the micro-watershed as a way of preserving and conserving the environment.

“We have to take care of the watershed for it is important as a source of potable water and for our rice fields,” he said in an interview on Monday.

Provincial Ordinance 2015-109 mandated the celebration of the “Pista ng Kagubatan Day” every last Friday of June every year. Governor Rhodora Cadiao also issued Executive Order No. 68 on June 5, 2025 for the Pista ng Kagubatan Day.

The tree-growing activity will gather the participation of various government agencies in the province.

Meanwhile, Sumande favored the temporary closure of the Igbaclag Cave also in San Remigio to give time for the cave’s ecosystem, including the forest, to recover.

“I admire the local government unit (LGU) of San Remigio for implementing temporary closure of the cave while they are coming up with a management plan,” he said.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Western Visayas required the local government to have a management plan to protect the cave, a popular tourist destination in the municipality.

“There is really a need to spell out the dos and don’ts in the management plan for the cave’s protection and conservation,” he said.

Tourists shall observe silence to avoid disturbing the bats and birds that thrive inside and refrain from vandalizing the cave, he added. (PNA)