08/10/2026
๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ, ๐ข๐ป๐ฒ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฒ: ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ง-๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ
MANGATAREM, Pangasinan โ For graduating DOST-SEI scholars, completing their academic journey meant more than celebrating a milestone. It also meant leaving behind a legacy that could grow for generations. On July 4, 2026, scholars from various universities and colleges across Pangasinan gathered at Daang Kalikasan, Mangatarem, Pangasinan, for the annual โOne Graduate, One Treeโ tree-planting initiative of the Department of Science and TechnologyโScholarsโ Intercampus Association of Pangasinan (DOST-SICAP).
In partnership with the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) of Mangatarem, the Mangatarem Bantocaling Reforestation Irrigation Association (MBRIA), and the Municipal Government of Mangatarem, the scholars planted 250 Narra (Pterocarpus indicus) saplings, transforming their graduation celebration into an act of environmental stewardship. The Narra, one of the Philippinesโ valued native tree species, was chosen not only for its cultural and ecological significance but also for its contribution to biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, and long-term forest restoration.
Mr. Keith Francis Bueno, president of DOST-SICAP, emphasized that the initiative was more than simply planting trees, noting that it also provided an opportunity to โforge partnerships with the community, as well as celebrate yung success ng mga graduating scholars as they step beyond the scholarship program and into the real world.โ
For the graduating scholars, each tree represented more than a newly planted sapling. It symbolized the knowledge, opportunities, and responsibilities that came with their journey as DOST scholars. Through the initiative, DOST-SICAP sought to encourage graduating scholars to become not only successful professionals but also responsible members of their communities. The activity provided an avenue for them to practice volunteerism and environmental responsibility while contributing to a broader conservation effort. The initiative also strengthened the partnership between DOST-SICAP and local stakeholders, demonstrating how collaboration among scholars, government offices, and community organizations can translate shared environmental goals into meaningful action.
The saplings planted at Daang Kalikasan may take years to mature, but the act of planting them carries an immediate message: meaningful change often begins with a single step, or in this case, a single tree. As the graduating scholars move forward to new academic, professional, and personal chapters, the trees they planted will remain as living reminders of their time as scholars and of the responsibility that comes with being part of a community.
Through One Graduate, One Tree, DOST-SICAP has turned graduation into an opportunity to give back, showing that academic achievement can extend beyond the classroom and contribute to the protection and restoration of the environment.
One graduate. One tree. One lasting legacy.
Your DOST Ilocos Region family is proud of you!
//By: Nikko S. Ofo-ob
