Experts to speak at green forum

The organizer of Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2011 has invited experts to discuss environmental issues during the Environmental Business Industry forum recently at Harold’s Hotel Cebu. The environmental forum is one of the highlights of the CBM 2011, organized by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

The experts are Edna Gapuz of the Development Academy of the Philippines who discussed waste-to-fuel projects; Maricon Encabo on converting plastic wastes to fuel; Dr. Araceli monsada of the Department of Science and Technology, on green technologies; and Edwin Ortiz of the Carbon Credit Financing Opportunities, who will tackle business opportunities from garbage. CCCI also invited Dr. Musjtaq Memon, Program Officer of the United Nations Environment Programme, who implemented projects on integrated solid waste management in India, Lesotho, People’s Republic of China and Sri Lanka.

The forum is meant to make investors and businessmen realize that garbage can be a source of new materials and should not be overlooked as a potential business opportunity, said Mario Panganiban, CCCI environment committee chairman.

There are many new technologies that businessmen are unaware of. We also hope to convince the public to minimize their wastes due to the closure of the landfill.

Project NOWtbuks in Schools

I was invited and volunteered to join the Project NOWtbuks (NOW is the Time to Build Up Kids for Sustainability) of my college Alma mater CIT-University Industrial Engineering Department and IE Council. Project NOWtbuks happened last May 21, 2011 at Sitio Bonbonan and Sitio Callejon on how to turn scratch papers into notebooks.

Barangay Labangon Gymnasium

Notebooks and bookmarks

Games Games Games

Before the 1st leg of the series of events, I went ahead to donate some scratch/used paper and cartons for them to use as raw material. The objective of the Project is to tap the creativity and resourcefulness of the youth by transforming recyclable papers into usable notebooks thus helping them save money for their school materials.

Mga (DMD-Crazy) Industrial Engineers bow!

Happy Happy, Joy Joy!

It was good to once again, render some of my resources and time for the success of this activity; also to be back with the company of IE Faculty and students as well. Kudos to the Project NOWtbuks and IE Department and IE Council!

Kumbati IE! XD

GREENIN’ Philippines: beyond tree planting…creating real forests

GREENIN’ Philippines: beyond tree planting…creating real forests is what should be done in our current situation today for Global climate change is a widespread and growing concern that has led to extensive international discussions and negotiations. Many of the activities we do every day such as turning the lights on, cooking food, or heating or cooling our homes rely on energy sources like coal and oil that emit carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases into the atmosphere.

We are taking millions of years worth of carbon, stored beneath the earth as fossil fuels, and releasing it into the atmosphere. By now the planet has 392 parts per million CO2 – and this number is rising by about 2 parts per million every year.

The world's leading climate scientists have now revised the highest safe level of CO2 to 350 parts per million. Unless we are able to rapidly return to below 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts that are detrimental to all lives existing on Earth.

One option for slowing the rise of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, and thus possible climate change, is to increase the amount of carbon removed by and stored in forests. Aside from this, forests reduce flooding, improve water quality, improve air quality, preserve and increase the diversity of plants and animals and increase the beauty of the environment.

But over the years, the Philippines’ forest resources degenerated because of massive logging activities, fuelwood gathering and charcoal making, shifting cultivation and permanent agriculture. With continued deforestation, some species are now endangered or even extinct. In fact, the Philippines is one of the biodiversity ‘hot spots’ or areas of concern in the world.

The reasons for failure in reforestation efforts are legion, ranging from technical to social issues. Poor species-site matching, inadequate monitoring, corruption and social conflict are some of the major reasons. Addressing these problems in parallel with any environmental rehabilitation and protection undertakings can significantly increase our forest cover.

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) formed the Generation, REdemption, and Expansion of Natural resources INitiatives in the Philippines (GREENIN’ Philippines) to provide effective ways to arrest degradation of forestlands with the end view of making the country greener and healthier.

About GREENIN:

The GREENIN’ Philippines is anchored on the lessons and insights gained from years of undertaking sound and viable environmental interventions. It is designed to enhance and/or maintain environmental integrity by restoring biodiversity. It seeks to develop, protect, enhance and co-manage denuded forestlands, brushlands and degraded residual natural forests. The program is expected to have more partners that will share its vision of rehabilitating the environment through the use of native trees. Moreover, in the next three to five years, there will be forest patches created throughout the Philippines brought about the initiatives undertaken by its stakeholders and partners. These forests, which shall be the future homes of wildlife, shall be carefully protected and managed to ensure a healthy population of the wildlife residing therein. It is also the hope of the Program that the Filipinos will be more assertive and responsive in addressing the important environmental issues that already have greatly affected us all.

The reforestation component of GREENIN’ Philippines deviates from the traditional tree planting activities in the country which have reportedly not reaped much success. GREENIN’ Philippines will orchestrate to make real forests in critical areas like watersheds and denuded forestlands by developing value-based capabilities of the Program’s stakeholders and partners to co-manage program implementation. Post-planting activities are performed to ensure that planted seedlings grow to become forests.

Native tree nurseries are maintained as support mechanism of the program. GREENIN’ Philippines strongly advocates the planting of native tree species as these species promote biodiversity restoration faster than exotic ones. These make GREENIN’ Philippines a different strategy from the rest.

The GREENIN’ Philippines has the Province of Cebu for its pilot area. Taking from the Cebu model, the Program shall be gradually implemented in the different regions of the country. This is to ensure that the Program will be properly managed and implemented while building up relevant lessons and best practices from those who have implemented the program ahead.

Run 2 Plant for GREENIN Philippines

Putting its GREENIN Philippines Program’s advocacies into action, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) will hold “Run 2 Plant for GREENIN Philippines” on June 25 in commemoration of the Philippine Environment Month and World Environment Day in June.

The run and plant event is organized in collaboration with the Cebu Provincial Government, local government units, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and various government institutions and corporate groups.

The Run 2 Plant for GREENIN Philippines is linked with the expanded Green and Wholesome Environment that Nurtures (eGWEN) Our Cebu Program’s environmental protection and enhancement component. eGwen Our Cebu Program is a joint development program of the Province of Cebu and RAFI with the aim of making Cebu an ideal place to live, work, play, invest and do business.

“The event has two segments, the running and the planting. This event is an approach to promote health among people by running and health of the environment by planting native tree species, thus benefitting both people and environment,” Neil Papas, program coordinator of the GREENIN Philippines Pogram, said.

The central event will be held in a 30-hectare forestland in Jaclupan, Talisay City. The area, which is within the critical Mananga watershed, shall be developed into a forest model through a co-management agreement among DENR, Cebu Provincial Government, Talisay City Government, Metro Cebu Water District, and RAFI.

Simultaneously, the other 50 municipalities and component cities of the Province of Cebu will hold the Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines in their respective jurisdictions, making the event a province-wide endeavor.

Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia has recently issued an executive order, mandating the implementation and institutionalization of the Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines throughout the province.

The Run 2 Plant for GREENIN Philippines targets to plant 160,000 native tree species simultaneously all over Cebu on the said date.

“The activity does not end on June 25. Through the eGWEN Our Cebu Program, the Cebu Provincial Government and RAFI will undertake post-planting activities in collaboration with DENR, various LGUs, partners and volunteers to ensure that the native tree seedlings planted will grow and become forests after a few years,” Papas added.

RAFI’s GREENIN Philippines Program, which stands for Generation REdemption and Expansion of Natural resources INitiatives in the Philippines Program, seeks to develop, protect, enhance and co-manage denuded forestlands, brush lands and degraded residual natural forests by planting native tree species.

Earlier, RAFI expressed support and committed its GREENIN Philippines Program to complement DENR’s National Greening Program developed under Executive Order No. 26 issued by President Benigno Aquino III last February 24.

RAFI is the only non-government organization being considered to undertake activities in support of the National Greening Program in Region 7 along with 16 government agencies, instrumentalities, and government-owned and controlled corporations.

For more information about the Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines, please contact 418-7234 loc. 515 and look for Neil Papas or Myryl Mendoza.

Young Leaders attend eco-camp

Aboitiz Power (AP) continues to engage the youth sector in its environmental protection and nature conservation programs. To raise awareness among the youth, AP organized eco camps in the Makiling-Banahaw area in Laguna and in Tiwi, Albay.

In April, a summer camp was organized by AP Renewables Inc. (Apri), a wholly owned subsidiary of AP, for its Makiling and Banahaw (MakBan) power plant’s host communities in Laguna.

Apri harnesses Cleanergy, the company’s brand for clean and renewable energy, particularly from geothermal sources. The Ecological Summer Youth Camps were participated in by 150 youth leaders from 10 public schools. The workshop was held from April 2 to 4, 2011 at the Royal Palm Resort in Barangay Puypuy Bay, Laguna.

The program aimed to help the young participants understand urgent environmental issues, such as global warming and climate change. The summer camp which is a part of the corporate social responsibility program of AP, includes the Eco-Action Planning Workshop and the Eco-tour at Makiling Botanic Garden in the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Apri senior vice president for corporate services Juan Alfonso was at the workshop to encourage the youth to become leaders in taking care of the environment.

AboitizPower and Apri are committed to make you leaders in your own schools and communities in our crusade to save our country and save our planet. We need all of you to succeed in making a difference for our environment.

Sin Tax on plastics producers, users

An environmentalist is asking the Cebu City Council to impose a “sin tax” or charge a fee on establishments that will use and sell non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags in the city. During a public hearing on the proposal to ban plastics in Cebu City, lawyer Gloria Ramos of the Philippine Earth Justice Center Inc. said penalizing the use of plastics is long overdue.

“A tax or fee should be imposed for the use of plastic bags because its one way of changing the behavior of the people and it is within the authority of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in line with its police powers and taxation powers, she said.”

Ramos said that banning the use of plastics will reduce the volume of wastes the city produces. Under the RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, all local government units are mandated to divert 25 percent of the wastes thrown at disposal facilities. With the passage of this ordinance, we can comply with such mandate while at the same time mitigating the effects of climate change.

Councilor Edgardo Labella, who authored the proposed ordinance, said he will study ramos’ proposal and to perhaps clarify a possible double taxation. If approved by the City Council, the proposed measure will prohibit business establishments from using non-biodegradable materials.

Re-usable Bags will hopefully be the norm for business establishments to use in carrying or transporting their purchased products. Under the penalty clause of the proposed ordinance, business establishments found using and selling non-biodegradable plastic shopping bags will be fined Php2,000.00 in the 1st year of the implementation of the law. Violations committed in the succeeding years will have a corresponding penalty of Php5,000.00 and/or imprisonment of not more than 6 years. The business permits of the establishments will be revoked also for a year.