Groups invited to join environmental contest

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III is pushing for more people’s organizations to join the environmental ‘Quest for the Most Outstanding People’s Organization of Cebu Province.’

Davide said the “environment is the issue of all times” adding that he was happy with the program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to bring the POs together for one honorable purpose.

“Nalipay kaayo ko sa initiative sa DENR nga nagpatuman sa NGP (National Greening Program) ug sa mga POs nga niapil. Dako kaayo kita og tulubagon dili lamang sa karong henerasyon apan apil na sa future generations,” Davide said during the awarding ceremony held at the DepEd-Ecotech Center last Wednesday.

At least 83 PO’s in the province have joined the quest which was started in 2011.

The program is intended to pursue the NGP through the rehabilitation and development of mangroves and the upland ecosystem.

The participants are all registered with Cooperative Development Authority, Securities and Exchange Commission and with the Department of Labor and Employment.

They were designated to plant 50,000 propagules in a five-hectare land using their own money.

Each participant is also subjected to a series of evaluations based on the criteria set by the selected team of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office.

According to Laurentino Bautista of PENRO the seedlings planted are now close to two meters tall on the average since their last evaluation.

In the lowland category (mangrove area), the Pangan-an Island Community Cooperative Development emerged as the winner of the competition.

It won P80,000 in cash prize and livelihood package of five hybrid female piglets.

Barangay Suba Olango Farmers’ Association and the Nagkahiusang Mananagat sa Bang-bang emerged second and third and received P55,000 plus livelihood package of three hybrid female piglets and P30,000 plus livelihood package of two hybrid female piglets, respectively.

The Basak Upland Farmers took the first prize in the upland category. It took home P100,000 plus five hybrid female piglets.

Next was the Campo 4 Manipis, Minglanilla To-ong Association and Lunas Latab Camiri Pit-os United Farmers Association, which won P75,000 plus three hybrid female piglets and P55,000, plus two female hybrid piglets, respectively.

In a separate competition, Fritz Hoyle and Gabriel Bautista, high school students of Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT), won first prize in the poster and slogan contest which will be utilized by the DENR in the environmental campaign thrust.  (FREEMAN)