1000 seedlings were planted in the town of Sta. Rita, Pampanga last weekend

As the growing sympathy over the burning of the Amazon jungle becomes a social media sensation, the people of Sta. Rita headed by its former town leader, Yolly Miranda Pineda seized the opportunity to call on the townspeople last weekend to help plant 1000 trees along the reclining open field of what the people called as the Sta. Rita Ecopark.

And did they all come out: local schools, women's groups, the private sector, the LGBT community, government officials, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources which provided the seedlings.

One of the volunteers, Randy Del Rosario believes that the activity is larger than life. "This tree planting activity is multifaceted because it is not only environmental in purpose but also social in aspiration. It advocates that spirit of volunteerism, a virtue we urgently need to revive, uphold and perpetuate in this time and age. We believe and commit to this belief that the ecopark should be our legacy to future generations. We hope that this small act of kindness to our mother nature will create a ripple of inspiration for others to follow."

The ecopark is a long mound that served as a protective mega dike during the rampaging of the lahar in the early '90s after the Mt. Pinatubo eruption.

It was just a wide barren land that in the last several years, the community decided to plant trees. It turned out to be the perfect move. "When the trees started to grow, we noticed that people started to spend their time there, especially during the golden hours. So we started to build bale-kubo. Until town events like traditional festivals made the eco-park a destination place. You see, when you plant trees, people come. That's how nature works, " Pineda stressed.

For several years, the ecopark has become a public space where people spend their leisure time jogging and biking or just whiling away. It has a fantastic view of the Nabuklod mountain ranges of Porac and Floridablanca, after all.

It has become a haven for children and students to enjoy their time playing traditional games divorced from the technology of online gaming apps as the public park provided play space canopied with huge trees that also became watersheds.

During rainy seasons, the ecopark is a spot of migratory birds and its lower foot has served as a breeding ground of freshwater fish and vegetables- things that became abundant after trees started to grow on the plain. It has become a pilgrimage site too as the patron of the town, the Santa Rita was created a concrete statue for the faithful.

Last weekend's tree planting activity was so big it ignited interest in nearby towns. The same group of organizers have started planning to go and look for potential spots in other towns and to implement another batch of tree planting. — LA, GMA News