DAVAO CITY – Several organizations here will spearhead the Eco-fest Davao startinv this June 24 as part of the Philippine Environment Month.
The theme this year is dubbed “Seven Billion Dreams, One Planet, Consume With Care”.
Engr. Lakandiwa Soliman Orcullo of City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) said that they already launched several activities for the festival.
Orcullo said they started last June 1 at the Davao City hall with the distribution of seedlings and followed by the Philippine Eagle Week last June 4-10.
Orcullo said they also had a “tree planting, tree tagging and outreach activity last June 6 at the People’s Park and another tree planting activity with Cenro last June 10.”
He said a forum on environmental laws was also held last June 13.
Michael Quinoñes, the project coordinator of Cenro said there will be an exhibit during the opening of the Eco-fest.
“We will invite schools, business establishments and organizations, NGOs, government sectors and other environmental organizations for them to showcase and promote their greenest advocacies and campaigns and we will also have an Organic Fair [where] different businesses who are selling organic products will have the chance to sell for that day,” he said.
Quinoñes said they will also have a film viewing activity of barangay-led ecological initiatives during the whole week to showcase different environmental documentaries and films to promote environmental awareness and responsibility among the viewers.
Quinoñes also said children will also take part in the upcoming celebration on June 27-28 with story-telling and coloring activities “aimed in instilling environmental values [for them].”
Ann Fuertes, the Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (Idis) executive director, said that the 2015 Miss Earth Philippines-Air beauty queen Chanel Olive Thomas will also be in the city to take part in the Eco-fest Davao in promoting and strengthening the greening efforts and initiatives of several environmental organizations.
Thomas, a Filipino-Australian model, will be joined by the executive director of Miss Earth Philippines Foundation, AJ Mira.
“Our goal is to engage more stakeholder interest in local environment issue so that they take the next step towards the vision of a truly green and sustainable Davao City,” Engr. Eliza Madrazo, the EcoFest co-organizer and Cenro Officer-in-Charge said in a media release.
On June 26, the Watershed Management Council (WMC) will conduct its annual Watershed Stakeholders Summit at the University of Mindanao which will highlight the state of Davao’s watersheds after years of multi-sectoral reforestation initiatives.(davaotoday.com)
