REGION 6 ENR ambassadors launch projects

After the launching of Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) Ambassadors Project, an initiative of the Task Force Tayo ang Kalikasan of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the DENR 6 was chosen as the pilot region of the 4-Saturdays workshop entitled: ENR Ambassadors in Action: Shaping Tomorrow’s Green Campaigners, which tackled the priority programs of Tayo ang Kalikasan, such as Solid Waste Management, Clean Air, Clean Water and bamboo plantation/innovation.

After the workshop mentored by the GREENducation Philippines, the ENR Ambassadors of each province proceeded to the launching/implementation of their respective projects;

The province of Aklan launched their Go for BaMBu mo (Basura Mo Bulsa Mo) project focused to the Ecological Solid Waste Management in the province. The five ENR Ambassadors designed the project to strengthen advocates on reduction of waste and proper waste disposal among the youth in the community to achieve a greener, cleaner, and healthy environment within the target municipalities.

TRASHMission Mararison is the project title of the ENR Ambassadors for the province of Antique. This project aims to empower the locals of Barangay Mararison, Culasi, Antique on the effects of marine pollution towards marine resources affecting coastal communities. It was done with an interactive talks and workshops that capacitated the communities towards promoting awareness on this cause.

Due to the perennial flooding problem in their province, the ENR Ambassadors from Capiz conducted the Kawayan Project a bamboo planting activity. A total of 30 bamboo culms (Dalosan) were planted at the riverbanks of Panay River in Brgy. Poblacion Ilaya, Panitan, Capiz on October 23, 2021 as their launching activity.

ENR Ambassadors of Guimaras launched the Basura, Ayuda Para sa Ekonomiya project with aim that encourages the residents to collect their 2 kilograms of plastic wastes in exchange of  kilo of rice at the Brgy. Hoskyn, Jordan, Guimaras last September 22, 2021.  It covers 108 beneficiaries out of 600 households in the barangay.

Due to high cases of COVID-19 restriction in Iloilo are tightened thus, Iloilo ENR Ambassadors focused on solid waste management by using the social media platfoms as their medium. Symposiums for the youth of Oton, Iloilo through zoom or Google meet and conduct of virtual/online contests such as: Poetry writing: “Handog Kasulatan para sa Kalikasan”, Spoken poetry: “Sambitin at Damdamin sa Kalikasang Sumasalamin”, and song composition, “Awit para sa Kalikasan: A Virtual Song Writing Composition” were conducted.

In the province of Negros Occidental, the ENR Ambassadors named their project ECO 143 which is comprised of EcoTuro, ECO1, ECO4 and ECO3 campaigns, focused on solid waste management with an aim to increase awareness of the community about the importance of natural resources and its conservation and in instilling values of responsible environmentalism.

These campaigns are in line with the rationale of TAK ENR Ambassadors Project to train, guide, and develop the skills of the selected ENR Ambassadors and provide appropriate resources to expedite communication and coordination with them.

“This young mind of ENR Ambassadors of Western Visayas can play an active role in protecting and improving the environment not just for their generations but also for the future,” DENR 6 Regional Executive Director Livino B. Duran said.

“I want also to challenge the other youth to take step in environmental protection, because somewhat, somehow you might be the answer of this growing environmental problem,” he encouraged.

DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu once said that “the choice we all make in our everyday lives affect the kind of environment we want our children to live in.”

TAK is the brain child of DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, who laid down his ten (10) priority programs, namely: Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Act, Enhanced National Greening Program (ENGP), Intensified Forest Protection and Anti-illegal Logging, Enhanced Biodiversity Conservation, Scaling Up of Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Program, Improved Land Administration and Management, Geo-hazard and Groundwater Assessment and Responsible Mining, and Manila Bay and Boracay Rehabilitation Clean Up. (DENR-6)