“Sustainability
means leaving something for our children,” says guest speaker Ryan Fabay,
Mindanao State University Faculty, in the recently concluded
Climate Change Summit in Cotabato City.
The Climate Change Summit
aims to engage
identified communities in improving their mechanisms on waste
collection, waste segregation, recycling and other climate change adaptation
practices. The initiative is organized through World Vision’s Adapting Solid Waste Management as Climate
Crises Solution project in partnership with local government unit of
Cotabato City.
“Basically the Climate
Change Summit is the effort of World Vision and the local government unit to
reach the communities and involve them in managing, conserving and protecting
the city environment,” says Fabay. According to him, bridging the gap between
the government and our community partners to work together will bring effective
and sustainable output to the citizens, most especially the children of
Cotabato.
“The number one problem we have in the city in our
solid waste management efforts is the lack of awareness and participation of
the locals,” expresses Engr. Crisanto Saavedra, City Environment and Natural
Resources Office. He adds that the event is a very good way to maximize our
information and advocacy campaigns.
“The event intends to educate the communities in
solid waste management as climate crises solution by decreasing solid waste
dumped in their communities,” says World Vision Project Manager, Mark
Sefuentes. “Our method is to engage communities through the 3Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle approach,”
he explains.
The summit also addresses the need for the
collaborative efforts of the different stakeholders including the government,
communities, social enterprises, business owners and the children and youth.
“We are currently partnering with local stakeholders and relevant
establishments to preserve and sustain our solid waste management efforts in
the city,” says Sefuentes.
Jornalyn Castillo, purok leader and a mother of four, extends her gratitude for being
invited to join the summit. She also shares her experience about their
increasing problem in their community.
“One of the major concerns that we have in our
barangay is the unresolved flooding in our streets exacerbated by the improper
disposal of trash in our surroundings,” Castillo says. She worries that this
could lead to fatal diseases that could potentially harm the people especially the
children.
Castillo extends that the summit motivates her more
to lead her constituents in advocating the 3Rs in her in own barangay to ensure
their safety and protection. “I will also start training my children for them
to know the important value of proper waste segregation in their young age.”
“Also, I was amazed that solid waste management
will not only benefit to environmental care, it can also be a good source of
income. As what one of the speakers said, ‘May
pera sa basura’ (There is cash in trash),” she shares.
“We want to create a better world for our future
generations by preserving our environment and providing financial opportunities
to people that we are working with,” underlines Sefuentes. “This summit is very
integral to motivate the local communities to embrace our program and be more
aggressive in creating crises solutions which is very timely right now since it
is now typhoon season in our country,” he adds.
He emphasizes the idea that community participation
is the very heart of World Vision’s solid waste management initiative and that
the end-line and the very goal is to protect and ensure the safety and security
of the children and youth.
To know more about World Vision and its other initiatives, you
may visit www.worldvision.org.ph or follow World Vision’s official social media pages
/worldvisionph on Facebook, @worldvisionphl on Instagram, and @worldvisionph on
Twitter.
About World Vision
World Vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy
organization dedicated to working with children, their families, and
communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by its Christian faith
and values, it is dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people.
It serves and collaborates with all people regardless of religion, race,
ethnicity, or gender.
No comments:
Post a Comment