News/Balita

Capsunian Ecowarriors magnify the spirit of volunteerism 

By Jacquilyn Butalon

More than 800 ecowarriors volunteered to join in a tree growing and planting orientation spearheaded by the Supreme Student Council (SSC) of CapSU Pontevedra in partnership with the Capiz Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (CaPENRO) as part of this year’s 1M kahoy project with a theme “Tanom para sa Paglaum: Plant for Peace, Grow for Future,” June 23, 2022.

The program was divided into three (3), the opening program, orientation proper, and tree planting. The opening remark was given by Dr. Ferdinand Anabo, Officer in Charge of the Office of the Campus Administrator wherein he stressed the importance of planting trees and the collective involvement of the youth in the restoration of the environment.

During the orientation proper, two experts in the fields gave their insights on their respective topics. Atty. Emilyn Arboleda – Depon, talks about the purpose and advocacy of the CaPENRO. In her talk, she showed the current status of Capiz ecology which is very alarming. She shared how the previous typhoons wrecked the province caused by severe flash floods due to the absence of trees in the mountainous areas.

Atty. Depon highlighted three (3) important things to remember in order to help mother nature heal from catastrophic disasters: Conserve, Protect and Restore. She said that these three things can only be achieved when the strong spirit of volunteerism will grow among ourselves.

While Dr. Harold Buenvenida, college professor and director of the Capiz Ecology and conservation Center, discussed SDG 15: Life on Land and laws related to Tree Planting via video conferencing.

After the orientation program on the tree growing activity, the 800 ecowarriors gathered in their own designated areas assigned by the SSC officers.

“Tree planting is a crucial part of our planet's regeneration, to assure the success of a certain movement we must work together, and raising youth awareness through involvement in this cause is crucial,” said Renan Patino, SSC President.

A total of 1,000 seedlings of native and fruit-bearing trees were planted by college and graduate school students, faculty and staff, and local officials of Barangay Bailan inside the school campus, based on the data of CaPENRO.

“I really hope that through this kind of initiative we will be able to strengthen the spirit of volunteerism to have a conducive place for living, little by little, we can make those things happen” as expressed by Jaymar Bansale, SSC BSED Representative.

With this effort, CaPSU Pontevedra and CaPENRO, did not only plant trees but also grow new breeds of ecowarriors - the hopes of Earth's restoration.

Photo courtesy from: CapSU Pontevedra SSC Facebook Page