Rehabilitation of a two-hectare parcel of mountainous land is underway in Sitio Sampugu, Barangay Kita-kita in San Jose City, Nueva Ecija.
Named Camp Panalangin (Prayer Mountain), the place is one woman’s personal project that has become a full-blown act of stewardship. The piece of land meant to be planted with crops has been opened for “recreational” activities like tree-planting and meditation, especially for those battling stress and depression.
Sheralyn Medrano-Allas, a cell leader in the Jesus Revival Church-Nueva Ecija, says she wants to give back to the Creator for the blessings she has received. Hence, her commitment to clear the area and plant trees until the barren piece of land becomes a sanctuary, a call that her church mates, youth groups, and other concerned citizens have responded to as well, including the Pyramid (Beta Omega Sigma) Fraternity and the city’s police force.
When the country celebrated its 124th Independence Day on June 11, 2022, the volunteers gathered, climbed the mountain, and planted trees at Camp Panalangin. As early as 5 a.m., 370 volunteers assembled for the activity called “Brigada Kalikasan para sa Araw ng Kalayaan.” The other groups active in the tree-planting event were the environmentalist group OSAT (One Sapling at a Time), the fraternities Alpha Phi Omega and Blue Dragon, the civic group Amaranth, city councilors, some personnel of the Department of Education Schools Division of San Jose City, and the technical and multimedia team of the Jesus Revival Church.
Similar activities were held on May 28, 2022 with at least 180 volunteers, and previously, on June 25 and July 17, 2021. People who visit the place also bring seedlings or saplings.
The nature sanctuary is this Ibanag woman’s personal pledge that she will never again videotape herself grieving and pleading for help for her hometown submerged in flood waters, such as she did in November 2020. The plea had solicited relief goods for her kababayans whose lives and source of livelihood were threatened by Typhoon “Ulysses.”
The series of tree-planting activities are in sharp contrast to the scenes that people, especially those living along the national highway, had witnessed four to five decades ago: huge trucks prowling the highway loaded with enormous logs, and the morbid sight and sound of the trucks’ steel chain dragging on the road.
As vegetation on Camp Panalangin becomes lush, Medrano-Allas envisions an end to her nightmares of forests burning. It is a dream she nurtures for her two-year-old granddaughter, who is herself a regular presence at the tree-planting activities meant to banish memories of bald mountains releasing flood waters on hapless communities.
Mercedes H. Blancas,Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija,mhblancas@gmail.com