More than 40 students from Balara Elementary School and San Vicente Elementary School participated in Manila Water’s Arbor Day boot camp held at the Orosa Open Grounds in the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) complex in Balara, Quezon City on June 30, 2023.
The boot camp, named “Punong Puno ng Pag-asa: Arbor Day Bootcamp for Kids,” featured a range of activities aimed at fostering a deeper appreciation for the environment and the protection of watersheds.
Accompanying the students in the activities were notable individuals including 2023 Ms. Earth Philippines Yllana Marie Aduana, MWSS Deputy Administrator for Customer Service Regulation Lee Robert Britanico, Mr. Christian Baluca from the MWSS-Corporate Office Policy, Planning and Public Relations Department, Maribel Marquez, an Environmental Management Specialist from Quezon City, Sarah Agcaoili and Rona Cadalino from ABS-CBN Foundation, and Atty. Kaye Celera, the Director for East Zone of Manila Water’s Enterprise and Regulatory Affairs Group.
During the planting activity, facilitated by Rona Cadalino of ABS-CBN Foundation, the students were taught the proper way to plant and care for seedlings in pots. Each student received a potted seedling to take home and nurture.
Sarah Agcaoili from ABS-CBN Foundation demonstrated to the students the important role of trees in protecting watersheds. Agcaoili also guided the students in creating pledges for environmental protection.
As part of the boot camp, Renel Donguya, the Advocacy Manager of Manila Water, showcased the company’s wastewater treatment process before it is returned to the rivers. Donguya also shared practical ideas with the students on how they can reduce their environmental impact related to wastewater management at home.
Miss Earth Philippines Yllana Aduana provided the students with an overview of Arbor Day and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDG), as well as simple and realistic practices that can contribute to nature restoration.
“Now, I’m addressing the children. I use various techniques and approaches to raise awareness for our causes. That’s what I do. At the end of the day, there is a sense of fulfillment knowing that I’ve used my voice to engage and educate them,” shared Aduana, expressing her passion for involving students.
In her welcome remarks, Atty. Celera encouraged the students to focus on “healing” in their environmental stewardship.
“What’s important is that we cultivate a restorative culture. It’s not just about planting, but also about taking care of the trees,” Celera emphasized to the students.
The Punong Puno ng Pag-asa Bootcamp for Kids is part of Manila Water’s observance of Arbor Day, which is celebrated every June 25 in the Philippines.
Year after year, Manila Water continues to engage in tree-planting activities across the country through partnerships with local and national government agencies and private organizations. This year, various business units conducted Arbor Day activities, including the planting of 500 native and fruit-bearing trees in the Santa Rosa Watershed and 1,500 narra and mahogany seedlings to benefit the watershed in Luyang River, Cebu.
Additionally, Manila Water is preparing to launch “Pasibol,” a tree-nurturing activity involving its employees and stakeholders. The project aims to strengthen employee-stakeholder relationships while participating in tree planting and caring for seedlings planted in previous years.
Manila Water’s Environmental, Social, and Governance targets set a goal of planting and nurturing 580,000 trees in key watersheds across the country by 2025.
READ: Seasoned candidates and newcomers compete in the record-breaking Miss Philippines Earth competition
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
