Türkiye, nagmarka ng 75 taon sa Pinas: masigasig para sa environment tie-up

KAPWA minarkahan ng Pilipinas at Türkiye ang 75 taon ng diplomatic relations sa pagtatanim ng 75 myrtle seedlings, simbolo ng matibay na commitment sa bilateral ties sa mga darating na taon, ayon sa Turkish Embassy sa Maynila.

Ang tree planting event, idinaos sa Makiling Botanic Gardens (MBG) sa Los Baños, lalawigan ng Laguna ay bahagi ng serye ng aktibidad ng Embahada para gunitain ang ‘anniversary milestone’ sa pagitan ng dalawang bansa.

“This activity is very important. In our culture, trees and forests are precious because they can perish very fast so for us planting a tree actually is planting the seed of hope for a more bountiful future, a more prosperous future, and a richer environment,” ang sinabi ni Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Evren Akyol.

Sa kabilang dako, sa hiwalay na panayam, sinabi ni Turkish Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Evren Akyol na ang kapaligiran at climate action ay ilan lamang sa ‘areas of cooperation’ ng Türkiye na bukas para mas ma-explore kasama ang Pilipinas.

Ang Türkiye aniya, nakaranas ng mapaminsalang wildfires bunsod ng matinding ‘hot at dry weather’ sa nakalipas ay kabilang sa mga bansang ‘highly vulnerable’ sa climate change.

“Both our countries are very active in international fora and all initiatives fighting global warming and climate action— so projects related to climate change present a potential that we would evaluate in the future,” aniya pa rin.

Maliban sa tree planting, sinabi naman ni Makiling Botanic Garden head Juancho na ang aid agency ng Türkiye na Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), ay “indicated willingness to support any development” sa nasabing lugar.

Kapag naitulak aniya ang ‘partnership’, sinabi ni Ambassador to the Philippines Niyazi Evren Akyol na ang Türkiye ay magiging pangalawang foreign government na mag- sponsor ng environment project sa loob ng MBG, susunod sa Thailand.

“Myrtle was the chosen seedling for the occasion not only because of its economic importance but its characteristic as a “resilient” plant,” ayon kay Balatibat.

“The Myrtaceae-themed garden will serve as the landmark for the celebration of the 75th diplomatic relations between our two countries. And we are optimistic that this relation will also be a very resilient one, just like the Myrtaceae,” aniya pa rin.

“We hope that there will be a long-term collaboration between our countries, especially for the development of our area here and also for the sake of our Mother Earth,” dagdag na wika nito.

Ang ‘myrtles’ ay binubuo ng shrubs o palumpong at mga puno mula sa pamilya ng Myrtaceae contai, kinabibilangan ng mga kapansin-pansing species gaya ng Philippine Ironwood o Magkono, Rainbow Eucalyptus o Bagras, at endemikong Philippine Teak o Malabayabas.

Ang tree planting event ng TIKA ay sa pakikipagtulungan sa University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB)-Makiling Center for Mountain Ecosystems-MBG.

Ang 300 hektaryang MBG ay bahagi ng 4,200 ektarya ng Makiling Forest Reserve. (Daris Jose)