The tie that binds
Living in Montecito, Canlubang for six years now has brought forth a different kind of reward for the Yulo family. Besides the vast stretch of green rolling hills and a mountain range, Montecito has been a solid building ground for the family.
Dang Yulo, along with husband, Raffy, and two daughters, Nina, 11, and Marga, 10, have found that there’s just too little time for all the things they can do outdoors together.
“We do all kinds of things like frog-watching, fishing in the lake, and stargazing,” says Dang.
Among the many splendid things that a natural environment can offer such as fresh air, breathtaking views, and a simple lifestyle, Dang is thankful for the kind of childhood her two daughters have experienced and are still enjoying. Sometimes, her children’s birthdays are celebrated fishing with friends. The giveaways are either narra seedlings or chicks.
“We’ve learned to hook the worms ourselves,” says Dang, who also doesn’t mind picking up toads in the garden with her bare hands and mugging it up for fun snapshots.
While other kids spend nearly all of their free time in virtual realities, Nina and Marga indulge in more earthy activities filled with natural encounters — with crows, kingfishers, and even the occasional musang cat.
The girls study at De La Salle Canlubang, which is 15 minutes away from Montecito. After school, they head off for treats at the nearby mall-cum-community center called Paseo.
Living in a community such as Montecito gave Dang a keen appreciation for the environment and her surroundings. It inspired her and sister-in-law, Tina Quiroz, to start an environmental awareness program in Canlubang.
The Canlubang Awareness and Response to Environment organization (CARE), was organized to help encourage environmentally sound practices in all the communities in Canlubang. The idea is to get volunteers from the community — many of them are stay-at-home mothers — to listen and learn about eco-friendly habits, and to help maintain the community by growing plants and cleaning communal areas.
While the mothers listen to lectures with Dang and sister-in-law Tina, planting seedlings on roadsides, and sweeping the streets, their children gather at the CARE headquarters to dabble in art with Nina and Marga.
“It’s like Sunday school,” says Dang. “Everyone gets involved.”
At Montecito, Dang and her family have found a multitude of things to do together. Whether its tree planting, fishing or frog watching, the Yulos have enjoyed these activities which help strengthen their bond together.
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