The Philippines has introduced a unique environmental rule requiring students at elementary, high school, and college levels to plant at least 10 trees before graduating, a move that could add an estimated 175 million trees each year.
The policy, known as the Graduation Legacy for the Environment Act and signed into law in 2019, requires schools to work with education authorities and local governments to manage planting activities and ensure seedlings are properly maintained.
Lawmakers behind the initiative said that with around 12 million students graduating annually, the program could significantly boost reforestation in a country where forest cover has fallen sharply over the past century.
Implementation is coordinated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which selects suitable sites such as degraded forests, mangroves, and watersheds, while prioritizing native tree species to support local ecosystems.
Environmental groups have welcomed the law as one of the world’s most ambitious youth-led reforestation efforts, while stressing that long-term monitoring and community involvement are crucial to ensure the trees survive and deliver real environmental benefits.
