A million trees from TSKI: Caring for God's resources
Batad, Iloilo -- Taytay sa Kauswagan Incorporated (TSKI), the country's premier partner in micro-financing marked its 21st anniversary in a celebration that was a first for its 250,000 clients.
From livelihood assistance to skills training and strengthened efforts bridging the gap between poverty and progress, TSKI celebrated by conducting a nationwide tree-planting activity.
Simultaneously done Saturday all over the Philippines in TSKI-communities, a team of 120 staff members from the head office led the eight Iloilo branches. Beneficiary of the TSKI's activity was the Municipality of Batad, a Fifth-Class municipality some 120 kilometers north of Iloilo City.
Site chosen was the hinterland of Barangay Alapascu here where TSKI group met with the counterpart-team of Mayor Elvira Alarcon. Barangay Alapascu is home to the Alapascu dam that serves irrigation needs of the town and portion of neighboring towns of Balasan and Estancia.
"A million trees: Caring for God's Resources," went the TSKI battlecry that saw a total of 1,500 seedlings of various fruit trees planted.
Dr. Angel De Leon, TSKI Executive Director in an interview told reporters present that the Batad project will be duly adopted and maintained. As such, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is underway with the TSKI bent on using the Batad experience as "show window."
"We operate in rural areas so it is just but right that we have to take care of our land," De Leon said. "And we will do this on an annual basis, our impact project. This is a kick-off event and every year now, we hope that TSKI will plant a million trees."
Sentiments warmly welcomed by Batad Municipal Administrator Reynold Sandoy.
"We are very lucky to be chosen by the TSKI. And it is very timely because environmental projects are really part of the priorities of Mayor Alarcon's administration," Sandoy began. "And from our end we will also work harder after seeing what the TSKI has started. If they are concerned for Batad, how much more us here? So this event is very significant for us."
Sandoy was joined by Councilors Rodolfo Ballester and Rico Machan, chairman of Batad's Committee on Environment alongside the local government team formed by Mayor Alarcon.
De Leon came with other top TSKI officials including Angel Solarte, K Bank President Ramon Buenaflor and latest addition to the TSKI Board, former Science and Technology Director Zinnia Teruel.
"This is all about caring for the environment," Teruel for her part shared. "And with one million trees as a start, the TSKI is bringing much-needed change particularly in carbon credits realized because of this activity."
Over-all supervision of the tree-planting activity was under Gus Bacabac, TSKI head of the Farmer Integrated Development Assistance Program (FIDA).