Agencies join Sinulog for info drive
The Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) has set up Eco stations within the downtown area of the city and at the South Road Properties with the hope of educating revelers of the Sinulog 2024 on proper disposal and segregation of garbage.
CCENRO’s officer-in-charge Reymarr Hijara said they finished setting up the eco stations a few days before the Sinulog Grand Parade and hopes it will help the public be more informed in garbage disposal and segregation.
They also hope that with the eco stations, city government personnel who are responsible for cleaning up after the festivities would have lesser burden with reduced garbage scattered around.
With this, Hijara said there is no more excuse for everyone not to throw garbage properly.
“Wa na gyud silay excuse kay nay para sa malata, di malata and pet bottles,” Hijara said.
CCENRO personnel and river troopers share the sentiments of Hijara saying, they could not also understand why despite all the labels placed in garbage bins, many do not care and just place it wherever they like just for the sake of throwing it.
Some Eco stations also have pop-up booths from one of the country’s softdrinks brand, Coca-Cola, which gives festival goers an incentive thru its 'Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo!' program.
Post-consumer PET plastic bottles with bottles from any brand can be accepted as long as they are clear ones.
Meanwhile, the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) will also be participating in today's Sinulog Festival to raise public awareness on legal adoption, foster care and other forms of alternative child care.
“We are here to encourage more Cebuano families in the Central Visayas Region and all throughout the Philippines to open up their homes and provide love and care to abandoned, neglected, dependent, surrendered, orphaned, abused, and exploited children needing adoption or foster care,” says NACC Undersecretary Janella Ejercito Estrada. She said that as of December 2023, there are 354 children assessed under 13 child care facilities in region-7 and 94 of them were assessed for adoption.
Estrada said that Central Visayas remains to be the largest in terms of number of facilities and the number of children provided with alternative child care.
As of December 2023, 36 children were placed for adoption, 1,116 foster children were served, and 58 children issued with Certificate Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption.
NACC revealed its participation to the Sinulog 2024 grand parade with a super herothemed float. On board will be super hero mascots namely “Super Adopt” and “Wonder Foster.”.
“Superhero theme because raising a child takes heroic strength and courage. To us, Prospective Adoptive Parents and Foster Parents are the heroes of abandoned, neglected, dependent, surrendered, orphaned, abused and exploited children,” said Estrada.
NACC Ambassadors Julia Clarete, Wendell Ramos, OPM artist Top Suzara, and Fil-Am actor Thou Reyes are also joining the NACC super hero float.
As of the latest, 60 NACC ambassadors have volunteered to promote administrative adoption, foster care, and alternative child care.
The NACC ambassadors are known and influential individuals who excel in their art and respective industry and who have volunteered to help NACC promote administrative adoption and alternative child care. –