Friday, March 28, 2008 Peña: Big Environmental Event By Rox Peña E-ssue
ASIDE from being Fire Prevention Month, March is filled with environmental events.
The biggest of these is the kick-off event for the month-long Earth Day celebration of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Earth Day Network Philippines. The international Earth Day celebration is on April 22.
As a start, a forum and three-day exhibit of technologies, products and information materials on water management on the State of Philippine Rivers was held last March 25 to 27 at the DENR main office in Quezon City.
This year's focus is on water conservation thus the theme "Tubig ay Buhay Ating Pagyamanin at Linisin."
The activity, which is also in commemoration of the World Water Day last March 22, is handled by the River Basin Control office of the DENR.
The executive director of this newly created agency, my good friend Dr. Jun Tuddao whom I worked with in some projects when he was still a Division Chief in the Region 3 Office, invited us to join the exhibit but the letter came too late. I got it a day before the event. Sayang.
The biggest Earth Day activity is the people's caravan, an 18-day intensive information and education campaign that will pass through regions, provinces, cities and municipalities.
The objective of this activity, which will kick-off on March 31 at the SM mall of Asia, is to bring DENR programs and projects to the people.
On April 4, all roads lead to the City of San Fernando as DENR officers and staff from Regions 1 to 5, NCR and CAR, together with non-government organizations (NGOs) and private groups converge at SM Pampanga for the Luzon caravan.
I heard a group from Visayas will also come. This will be the biggest environmental event in our region.
No wonder Regional Executive Director (RED) Doy de Leon and his staff are very busy nowadays. They will be the host of this mega-event.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo might even grace the occasion. It's her birthday on April 5 and she traditionally hears mass in Lubao.
Good luck Red de Leon. I congratulate you this early because I'm sure this will be a successful event. Cabalens, let's show our Kapampangan brand of hospitality to our visitors. Let's hang those WELCOME streamers.
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A short but significant event dubbed "Earth Hour" is scheduled tomorrow, March 29 from 8 to 9 p.m. First held by WWF-Australia in Sydney in March 31 last year, this activity encourages people at home, office, churches and business establishments to turn off lights and unplug appliances for one hour.
This simple action will not only save on electricity but also lessen the burning of fossil fuel, the leading cause of global warming.
The Catholic Church has even expressed strong support for this environmental initiative.
In the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales called on the faithful of the Manila archdiocese to join the global undertaking to bring attention to the suffering of Mother earth.
The "Earth Hour" falls on the eve of the feast of the Divine Mercy.
WWF-Philippines calls on private corporations, local groups, schools, and the entire nation to participate in this momentous event.
For more information check out the WWF Earth Hour page at: www.earthhour.org.
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Watch the Fire Brigade Competition on Friday, March 29, at the open field near the Mabiga Swimming Pool in Mabalacat.
The whole day event, organized by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) in Mabalacat, the Environmental Practitioners Association and Clark Safety and Heath Organization, will consists of three categories: fire hose, fire extinguisher and bucket relay.
