VIRTUAL BASH: DENR-6 celebrates World Water Day 2020

The digital world plays a pivotal role amid restrictions on mass movement of people as part of the nationwide effort to flatten the curb on the rising statistics of local transmission of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

In one ingenious way, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) in Region 6 used social media platform to celebrate World Water Day (WWD) 2020 in a fun, educational way.

In this digital era, information can be attained through the tip of our fingers by scrolling our phone devices to get updates and be cognizant with the happenings around the globe.

The EMB in Region 6 created a World Water Day 2020 Tiktok Challenge and is inviting residents of Western Visayas to shoot a 30-60 seconds video in line with the theme, “Water and Climate Change.” It is a creative approach to encourage people to engage in environmental gravity. They have extended the submission of entries until March 30, 2020.

DENR–EMB’s World Water Day 2020 Tiktok Challenge may be done solo, duo or in group, provided social distancing is observed. It is aimed at getting the message on water conservation across all age group in a way that is popular among many people.

“I call on every individual to take action. We all need clean and safe water. As we celebrate the World Water Day 2020, let us start the change within ourselves. Be an advocate of the movement to preserve our water resources and avoid human activities that pollute them,” according to Atty. Ramar Niel V. Pascua, EMB-6 Regional Director.

In connection with this year’s theme, “Water and Climate Change”, the DENR-6 was supposed to conduct a lecture and clean-up activities in rivers, creeks of Alibunan and upland areas of Sitio Paradahan in Calinog, Iloilo on the 20^th of March, but got cancelled due to the pandemic.

The growth of global population demands for greater usage of water but unconsciously depletes the natural resources thereby damaging the environment. The extreme weather events also lead to water scarcity.

Social media platforms became the medium that collect and disseminate information, ideas and interests simultaneously, which also connects people through virtual networks.

The COVID 19 pandemic has already affected hundreds of thousands of people globally and placed several countries on lockdown, including the Philippines. The move ordered people to stay at their homes for quarantine to avoid and break the chain of local transmission of the virus.

Thus, more people are now glued to their phones and social media platforms also became the source of information and entertainment for most of them.

The DENR cancelled scheduled environmental activities and it used social media platform like Facebook to inform the virtual community through infographics posted on its Facebook Pages.

Through this manner, it was still able to virtually raise public awareness about the importance and security of safe water for human consumption and healthy ecosystem

The World Water Day is celebrated every 22^nd day of March in coordination with United Nations (UN) – Water, an inter-agency collaboration mechanism for freshwater related issues with the help of the government and private partners.

“The effects of climate change in the country gradually destroy the environment and vital functions of biodiversity are at stake. It is important to protect our forests and watersheds for sustainable water management. We must further the campaign on ecological solid waste management to halt garbage from polluting the water,” said by Forester Danilo L. Lorilla, Chief of Conservation and Development Division (CDD).

Recently, a clean-up drive in Jar-ao River was conducted with participants from DENR 6, Multi-Sectoral Forest Protection Committee (MFPC), LGUs, Forest Protection Officers, residents and students of Tubungan, Iloilo.

The MFPC ensures its contribution to conserving and protecting the river with the clean-up operation that successfully collected 989 kilograms of garbage, mostly composed of plastics.

“Clean water is crucial for people, animals and wildlife species especially in this period amid the COVID 19 pandemic. Let us drink a lot of water to stay hydrated, and be hygienic by frequent hand washing and sanitation as well as practicing social distancing and quarantine are some vital measures that helps combat the disease,” said DENR 6 regional executive director Francisco E. Milla Jr. (DENR-6)