DCWD’s campaign wins best envi school initiatives

DAVAO City Water District awarded the winning schoolbased environment initiatives during the culmination of 3rd #YouthActTayo Campaign on November 28, 2019 at the Abreeza Ayala Mall, Davao City. These initiatives were anchored on forest-based practices, organic agriculture, energy and water conservation, marine resource management, pollution control, and education and advocacy which were implemented from June to November 2019.

Interface Development Interventions Executive Director Chinkie P. Golle, City Environment and Natural Resources Office Upland Community Project and Forest Management Chief Christopher B. Asibal, and Office of Councilor Marissa Salvador Abella Organic Program Coordinator Arthur C. Cagumbay chose the winning schools based on environmental benefits (35%), sustainability (35%), replicability (15%), and innovation (15%).

Among the 14 contingents in the elementary schools category, Wines Elementary School emerged as champion with their Lunhaw nga Sibsibanan Project. The project made possible the school-wide collection and recycling of plastic wastes, organic container gardening, and implementation of the zero-waste policy. This was then adopted by Brgy. Wines through a barangay ordinance. First runner-up was Lacson Elementary School’s Yamang Tubig Para Sa Buhay Project which intensified the rehabilitation of the school’s herbal garden and promoted the protection of Tamugan River through information drive and community mobilization. Second runner-up was Cadalian Elementary School for their #Project REUSE (Recycled

Equipment Ushers to a Safer Environment) which promoted zero-waste practices by adopting waste segregation in the creation of a school park.

Winning projects in 4th to 10th place were Basurang Patapon, Handog ay Karunungan of Malalan Elementary School, Ay, BOTE Nga! Solid Waste Reduction and Greening Initiatives of Gumalang Elementary School, TRASH…in 3r’s Way of Tamugan Elementary School, 4Gs - Grow Green on Garbage-free Ground of Tambobong Elementary School, Plastic Wastes Management Version 3.0 of Bartolome Elementary School, Hagdang Hagdang Gulayan of Tungkalan Elementary School, and Project VIAND (Viable Instrument in Augmenting Nourishment and Diet) of Baguio Central Elementary School.

Other schools that participated and recognized were Rosalia Aglay Ayag Elementary School, Malagos Elementary School SPED Center, Quezon Elementary School, and Gatungan Elementary School. For the high school category, of the eight participants, F. Bangoy National High School was hailed as champion with their A.S.Y.A. Project: A Sustainable Youth Advocacy. A.S.Y.A. mobilized the youth into proposing and successfully enforcing the zero-plastic waste policy which was approved by the Department of Education Region XI. First runner-up was Maria Cristina P. Belcar Agricultural High School’s Ugmaran sa mga Agrian: Level Up Project which integrated in the school’s academic curriculum the adoption and implementation of sound agricultural practices. These best agricultural practices were also imparted to farmers within the school’s community which resulted to higher productivity and increased economic gain. Lastly, Camansi National High School won second runnerup with the Think Green, Go Green Project which encouraged agricultural gardening in the school grounds with the vision to create a green campus. Awarded 4th to 8th place were Project A.G.A.D. (Artistic Gardening and Disposal) 2.0 of Baguio National School of Arts and Trades, OrCoGa (Organic Containerized Gardening) of Lower Tamugan National High School, Eco Bricks Tricks of Cabantian National High School, Fighting Against Land Degradation: TNHS on Land Restructuring of Tambobong National High School, and SAF (Sustainable Agricultural Farming) for the Poor of Emilio J. Estipona National High School. Alongside the project implementation were updates uploaded to the #YouthActTayo Facebook page for wider information reach. Malalan Elementary School with 73,067 engagements and Maria Cristina P. Belcar Agricultural High School with 29,019 engagements were given the Trending Award for having the most social media mileage. DCWD also awarded Best Defense Speaker to James Mark A. Jacosalem of Malalan Elementary School and Elyka A. Cascaro of F. Bangoy National High School. Cash prizes and plaques were awarded to the winners while all participants were given certificates of recognition and DCWDcustomized IEC materials. DCWD thanks all schools for implementing environmental action plans that address environmental issues in their respective communities. With the successful implementation since 2017, DCWD will continue the search for the best school-based environmental initiative this 2020.