Earth Day activities

Earth Day 2008 will be commemorated in a week-long campaign starting tomorrow, April 20 to 26 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 1276 signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in April last year. The Philippines celebrates with the rest of the world, with the theme “Lakbay para sa Kalikasan! Para sa Buhay at Kinabukasan!”.

Earth Day began in 1970 as a day to promote environmental awareness. 38 years later, that awareness is more important than ever. Events like Hurricane Katrina in the US, the tsunamis in Asia Pacific and the landslides and strong typhoons we have experienced have shown us that concern for our environment is no longer an option — it may be a matter of global survival.

Earth Day in the Philippines was established in 1990 through a resolution authored by former Senator and Environment Secretary Heherson T. Alvarez, who has recently been designated as Co-Chairman to Environment Secretary Lito Atienza in the Advisory Council on Climate Change. During this year’s week-long observance from April 20 to 26, the 2008 Father Neri Satur Award for Environmental Heroism will be bestowed upon a select group of people and organizations. The awardees are Dipolog Bishop Jose Manguiran, Nueva Vizcaya Bishop Ramon Villena, Fr. John Couvreur, CICM, the SM Group of Companies, Director Carlo J. Caparas and Professor Tomas Ongoco.

The awarding ceremonies will be held tomorrow, April 20, in “Sining Gising”, the National Center for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) — Department of Education television program hosted by NCCA Executive Director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez, broadcast on NBN Channel 4 from 4 to 6 p.m. The ceremonies will be preceded by a special Ecology Mass to be concelebrated by past and current awardees: Archbishop Francisco Claver, Bishop Manguiran, Bishop Villena, Fr. Couvreur, Fr. James Reuter and Fr. Ben Beltran.

Past awardees include Bishop Francisco Claver, Fr. James Reuter and Fr. Jet Villarin from the Jesuit congregation. Fr. Ben Beltran is from the Society of the Divine Word. The Fr. Neri Satur Environmental Media Awards were also bestowed last year on Jerry Esplanada of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Katherine Adraneda of the Philippine STAR. The Environment Committee of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) and Unilever Philippines from the business sector have also been given this recognition.

Several government and non-government groups join the advocacy bandwagon to celebrate Earth Day. The Cultural Center of the Philippines focuses on the importance of water and the need to conserve and protect it, with the theme “Tubig: Buhay Natin, Ating Pagyamanin”. The highlight of the annual event is the launch of the CCP’s wastewater management program.

The oasis in the midst of Manila’s concrete jungle, Årroceros Forest Park, also dubbed as “Manila’s last lung” will be holding its first Earth Day activity in cooperation with the Winner Foundation. An Earth Day Fair will be held on April 20, 2008, Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be booths with food, books, magazines and paintings for sale, chanting, a yoga demonstration, musical and dance numbers, and an on-the-spot art contest for kids, ages 4 to 12. Contestants are asked to bring their own art materials. There will be cash prizes. The park is located behind the Metropolitan Theatre and beside Quezon Bridge.

Earth Day Network Philippines (EDNP) works with the Clean and Green Foundation and the Sagip Pasig Movement, observes the event with several lined-up activities, among which are a fluvial parade scheduled on April 22 which will take off from different points, notably Marikina, Laguna Lake and Makati, with boat riders converging in Plaza Mexico in Intramuros. Significantly, there will also be two contrasting awards at the program, estimated to start at 10 a.m. First, the Lason Awards and the Eco-Watch program will be relaunched, with the former to be vested on institutions and groups who have contributed to the degradation of our water bodies. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Secretary Lito Atienza, will announce the winners of the eco-waste management competition among local government units.

It is important that all sectors, particularly the youth take note, heed the alarm bells, and act appropriately for their own welfare and generations to come. We hope all the efforts of the above mentioned organizations and other advocates as well, will serve to strengthen the movement of caring for Mother Earth, as everyone, especially the youth, emulate the commitment and advocacy in their respective spheres of work.