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No trees, no marriage contract
COTABATO CITY, 01 August 2012—Analiza Gonzales of the Save Mother Earth Movement in South Cotabato calls on regional and provincial officials to pass an ordinance, requiring couples intending to secure licenses to contract marriage to first plant at least 30 trees before being handed said license.
“We have been experiencing climate change, natural calamities, and environment destruction, so we need to help one another,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales further appealed to DENR officials to intensify its campaign against the prevention of illegal cutting of trees, far way beyond mere confiscation of forest products already cut by unauthorized loggers. “Small scale logging has not yet ceased to exist,” Gonzales said.
Gonzales’ call has not been warmly welcomed by a few couples set to seek marriage licenses. “While I would like to support this environmental call and plant trees for Mother Earth, I do not also like is to come like an imposition. Does this mean that if we do not plant the required 30 trees, and a marriage license is issued, then our marriage will later on be considered null and void?” an upcoming bride who sought not to be identified, said. (TPSA)
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