YOUTH leaders of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and National Youth Commission (NYC), along with 20 indigenous youth from Porac town, recently convened in a three-day immersion and ecotour activity advocating for environmental stewardship and climate action.

The event coined as “TImE-X: Training, Immersion, Ecotour for the Youth—the Stakeholders with the X Factor” aimed to empower the youth and help them understand the complexities of leadership, responsibility, integrity and transparency for environmental protection, natural resources conservation and climate change mitigation.

DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr. noted that the activity allowed participating youth leaders and IP communities to share their perspectives and best practices on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

“Our youth is vital in spreading the message of environmentalism to their communities,” Moreno said.

During the event, participants planted bamboo propagules along the slopes of Mount Arayat and did soil potting for use in the DENR’s pilot bamboo production nursery.

They also visited the Lubao Bamboo Hub and Eco-Park to learn more about the potential of bamboo for ecotourism and carbon capture.

Indigenous youth took part in a multi-sectoral exchange with the IP and barangay leaders, the NYC, the DENR Youth Desk, and the Climate Change Service.

The event marked the opening of a photo exhibit on the so-called “blue lagoon” or “kelwad” as it is locally known—a potential ecotourism site in Porac town.