LAOAG CITY – Gearing towards zero plastic waste environment, the Schools Division of Ilocos Norte (SDOIN) has initiated the first massive clean-up drive involving thousands of teachers and division office workers on Thursday.
In time for the debut of Brigada Eskwela and following the conduct of May 2019 polls, SDOIN led by its Superintendent Vilma D. Eda launched the massive clean-up drive which was conducted simultaneous in all schools here.
In a recent management committee meeting of SDOIN, Ms. Eda underscored the importance of helping the community in their bid towards preserving the environment and lessen the increase of plastic wastes.
“This activity shall help eliminate plastic wastes that got into the waterways during rainy season thereby preventing such to reach the seas and the ocean,” said Ms. Eda.
The Division Office was able to collect about 168 kilograms of plastic rubbish cleaning-up the streets and a creek under a bridge in their chosen community in Brgy. 7-B, Laoag City.
In support to the activity, Badio Elementary School in Pinili Town has conducted their clean-up drive in Sitio Mannalon and Riverside with some 62 participants composed of teachers, barangay officials, and parents in the community.
Aileen Rambaud, school principal, lauded the initiative of the schools division head in implementing the activity as the problem on plastic wastes and management is becoming worse.
“This is the very first time that the SDOIN conducted this simultaneous clean-up activity and we have seen the harmful impact of plastic wastes in our environment. While doing the cleaning, we are thinking on how we can contribute in eliminating plastic wastes in our community,” Rambaud said.
“To sustain the advocacy, the barangay officials here even suggested to continue this activity as a monthly endeavor,” she added.
In encouraging all schools to take part of the movement, a division memorandum was issued in pursuant to RA NO. 10121 of the “Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010”.
Division DRRM Coordinator George Emman Manuel also said that the activity aims to help mitigate the effects of Climate Change and lessen the plastic wastes in the community.
Schools conducted their own by choosing a location within their community, involving the stakeholders which will inspire them to do the same.
“While we are yet to receive the report from our schools on how much plastic garbage they were able to collect, this is our simple way of expressing our gratitude to our mother earth, and we hope that our quest for a greener and better environment will not stop here,” said Manuel. (Cherry Joy D. Garma)
