Love Affair with Nature is an annual celebration of the city of Puerto Princesa every February 14 spearheaded by the Office of the City Mayor together with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (City ENRO).
Love Affair with Nature is a way of focusing love to nature by mass planting of mangrove and other beach trees to strengthen and protect coastal areas, said Atty. Carlo Gomez, City ENRO Officer.
Gomez mentioned that they added up some gimmick for this year’s celebration by encouraging people to wear floral or Hawaiian-themed dress because of the location.
“This time dinagdagan natin ng konteng pakulo, considering na it will be on a very nice location so parang ‘Love Affair with Nature goes Luau’. So parang Hawaiian type, so we encourage everybody to wear floral dress sa pagtatanim,” he said.
This year’s celebration will be held at Sitio Tagbarungis, Barangay Inagawan Subcolony.
Gomez also said that the planting site is the remaining two-hectare area from the 15th Love Affair with Nature back in 2017. The location was chosen because they think it will also showcase the result of the 15th Love Affair with Nature.
“Para makita ng mga tao yung effort na naggawa noong 2017, kasi duon sa area makikita mo talagang naging maganda yung tinanim natin noong 2017, we have the 100% survival rate and dun mashoshow case natin sa mga tao yung area na maganda tapos, naglakihan nayung mga tinanim,” Gomez said.
He also said that there are roughly around 45,000 prepared seedlings but the possible number of seedlings that will be planted in the celebration is a maximum of 20,000 only based on the proper area spacing they’ve conducted.
“Maximum na siguro yung mga 20,000 base dun sa area spacing na ginagawa, lahat gusto natin mag survive so yung ginagamit natin na distance is yung talagang typical distance for them to survive, 2X5 meters,” Gomez explained.
Aside from mangroves, Gomez also enumerated other kinds of beach trees to be planted. These are the following: Bangi, Dangkalan, Talisay, Narra, Ipil and Kamagong.
Moreover, aside from the mass tree-planting activity, Mayor Lucilo Bayron will also preside a mass wedding ceremony for 100 couples. After the ceremony, the couples are expected to plant a seedling together to symbolize their love for each other and for nature, Gomez added.
“We encourage everybody, na sana ‘wag kayo mapagod sa pagsuporta sa ating mga environmental endeavor, most likely the Love Affair with Nature this coming February 14, 2019 sa Tagbarungis. Ang theme po natin ngayon ay ‘Love Affair with Nature goes Luau’. We invite and encourage you to wear floral dress and, please support the activity. In this way you can help the City Government to improve, protect and conserve the natural wonders like the Tagburingis coastal areas,” said Gomez as he invited the people of Puerto Princesa.