The celebration will coincide with weekly Sunday programs at the palace garden which Mrs. Arroyo opened to the public last month.
Environment and Natural Resources Secretary and celebration organizer Heherson Alvarez said activities lined-up include a fun run led by running priest Robert Reyes and a clean-up of esteros around Malacañang to be led by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.
Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin will also celebrate an "ecology" Mass to be concelebrated by Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan and Bishop Ramon Villena. The prelates will be assisted by Reyes, Bel San Luis and James Reuter SJ.
The Concerned Artists for the Rehabilitation of the Environment (CARE) will also entertain visitors to the palace garden in an eco-arts festival.
Meanwhile, the opposition coalition Puwersa ng Masa said yesterday it would thoroughly scrutinize Alvarez’s environmental agenda when his appointment comes before the Commission on Appointments.
"The opposition in Congress will judge his fitness or otherwise based on his programs. If he has pro-environment programs, fine. If he does not, the political opposition will oppose his nomination," Puwersa said.
The opposition challenged Alvarez to show "real and workable programs" and not just "old and tired and worthless" strategies and warned that it would coordinate closely with environmental groups during Alvarez’s confirmation hearings.
The opposition seven-point development agenda covers environmental protection. Senatorial candidates Ricardo Puno and Noli de Castro have been assigned to take care of environmental issues.
At the same time, senatorial candidate Santanina Rasul also urged the government to focus its resources on the country’s marine and coastal resources.
Rasul, an independent senatorial candidate, said "there is no arguing that the distressing state of our waters deserves the utmost attention of government."
"Philippine waters is home to more than 400 species of corals. Unfortunately, most of these species are now down and others are facing extinction," Rasul said.