BY: FREDDIE G. LAZARO
LAOAG CITY – Hundreds of state and private sector workers including the media walked for a cause to mark Earth Day on Tuesday, April 22.
Participants walked six kilometers from the premises of Robinson’s Mall in San Nicolas town and ended at the provincial capitol grounds.
Guided by the theme, Earth Day Everyday, Everywhere for Everyone, the eco-walk was initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Ilocos Norted headed by Juan Delos Reyes Jr. in support to the advocacy campaign for massive environmental preservation and protection.
“The world celebrates Earth Day (which falls on April 22), the single biggest environmental celebration in the world participated in by more than 192 countries and over a billion people worldwide,” de los Reyes said.
“Environment protection is a concern of every Filipino citizen. We need to manage our waste and preserve our natural landscape to mitigate the emerging effect of climate change for the sake of the future generation,” he added.
Earth Day is an annual event demonstrating support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970 and is now coordinated globally by the Earth Day Network.
Meanwhile, Senator Loren Legarda has renewed her call to protect marine biodiversity and preserve the country’s ecosystems in this year’s Earth Day celebration.
Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, said that the country’s natural resources, especially those within our seas, are crucial to the survival of Filipinos, especially that the Philippines is an archipelago.
“We are fortunate to have been blessed with abundant natural resources. In fact, we are one of the 17 mega-diverse countries, home to majority of Earth’s species. Unfortunately, we are also one of the world’s top biodiversity hotspots, with a large number of species that are endangered or threatened with extinction,” Legarda said.
“We must all work, in our own and simple yet big and determined steps, to help resuscitate our ailing environment. Let us turn away from extractive and consumptive way of living and strive to make a positive impact on our natural resources—may it be by saving on fuel, energy and water consumption, recycling, proper solid waste management or growing trees,” she said.
In celebration of Earth Day this year, Legarda had launched a video documentary on Philippine marine biodiversity to raise awareness on the current condition of the country’s marine life and underwater resources.
The project is in collaboration with Director Brillante Mendoza in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA). (MCA/ FGL, PIA – 1 Ilocos Norte)
PIA Region 1 