Havaianas loves Danjugan

IN BRAZIL, Havaianas’ country of birth, the chinelas company is known for being an advocate of nature. It supports marine protected areas, the Amazon, the Atlantic Forest and the Pantanal.

Two Havaianas styles, the IPE and Conservacao styles, are dedicated to the environment.

The nature-loving Ilonggo Havaianatico should know this: For each pair sold in Western Visayas, P25.00 is donated to the DEEP Project. The DEEP is the Danjugan Environmental Education Project. Through the Conserve Your Sole event, DEEP reaches out to more teachers and elementary and high school students of twelve pilot coastal public schools in Sulu Sea of Cauayan, Sipalay and Hinobaan in Negros Occidental where the last remaining good coral reefs of the province are.

The Conserve Your Sole event held in Mu Shu last August 4 was a blast. It combined social consciousness and fun in one night where everyone was enjoined to come in fashionably chic attire.

Each guest donates P150.00 to enter and this gives him or her a complimentary Havaianas Tropical Spike and cute freebies - all with the Havaianas trademark. Really lucky ones get to take home a giant Havaianas flipflop moonlighting as a lifesaver (salva vida).

Manila artists DJ Callum and vocalist Summer entertained us with local artists DJ Jao Varela, saxophonist Seanne Yared and the percussion group Batucada de Negros. Opening the evening were three poi performers who literally lit up our night.

For someone no longer a spring chicken, I vicariously enjoyed the thrill the mostly young crowd felt as they milled around with their friends. All of them were dressed to the nines, the pretty young things in their mile-high wedges and miniskirts and the men in their hip casual wear. They had the time of their lives, though perhaps many of them were not fully aware of how their presence was a big help to marine and wildlife biodiversity.

Poverty, the lack of education, and the unsustainable use of natural resources were the catalysts for a call to educate public school students on biodiversity conservation. DEEP also is out to teach sustainable development, climate change issues, and values. The youth today are the key to success in wildlife and marine conservation.

The Danjugan Island Marine Reserve and Sanctuaries was bowled over the island’s amazing marine and wildlife biodiversity starting in 1974. Twenty years later, it bought the island to curtail further destruction.
Danjugan Island has five lagoons, dense limestone forests and healthy coral reefs. Seventy-two species of birds, 10 species of bats, 579 species of fish, 244 species of corals, turtles, snakes, rare coconut crabs among many wildlife species call the island their home. Ordinary folks can share this amazement at Danjugan which operates with minimal impact to the environment. Think solar power!

Dive and snorkel. Kayak and go spelunking. Or just laze on the white sand beach. Danjugan offers back- to-basic living in the lushness of nature. Havaianas just contributed to the efficient and sustained operations of Danjugan by donating 100 percent of the proceeds at the Conserve Your Sole Party.