This year’s Environment Month, dubbed as “The Planet Needs You: Unite to Combat Climate Change,” was celebrated successfully under the helm of Mayor Pablo C. Ortega through City Environment Officer Valmar Valdez, with activities lined up, which started June 5.
On this day, World Environment Day (WED), Joel Salvador, regional director of the Environment Bureau, served as the guest of honor and speaker before several Tree-Planting activities; meetings with partners for the implementation of established projects such as the Lingsat Marine Protected Area, Solid Waste Management Program and the Septage Management Program; Scuba Diving Training; Seedlings/Propagules Distribution; Training on Bamboo Nursery and Harvesting cum Agroforestry, among others.
The promotion of bamboo as One-Town-One Product, it is presently focusing on the commodity of the Farmers’ Information and Technology Services (FITS) Center. The Kawayan (bamboo) Challenge and Rabong (bamboo shoot) Cookfest was initiated through the Barangay Abut Bamboo Farmers’ Association and its barangay council to promote the versatility of bamboo as raw material in furniture-making and cottage industry.
Mayor Ortega, realizing the high demands for bamboo, has urged farmers to focus on plantation establishment that will produce propagules and therefore, commercialize bamboo products.
Dr. Stanley Malab, director of the Ilocos Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium, informed that bamboo has 1, 500 uses. Malab also conducted a demonstration on bamboo tiles and certificates.
To showcase the many uses of bamboo, games using bamboo as props were undertaken to include Tiklis (bamboo basket)-Making Contest; Kadang-Kadang (stilt) Race; and Palo-Sebo (greased bamboo pole climbing) Contest.
In Rabong (bamboo shoot) Cookfest, using bamboo as the main ingredient, winners were: La Union National High School, Mautal Sayor Lodeh (1st Prize); Kasay Sanktuaryo, Rabong Spaghetti (2nd Prize); Barangay Bato’ Rabong Atchara (bamboo shoot pickles), 3rd Prize; and Barangy Bato Lumpiang Rabong (bamboo shoot wanton rolls). Cash prizes were awarded the winners.
Bike-a-thon Challenge or Padyak sa Tag-ulan,100 bikers participated by La Union and Baguio City bikers, with a race starting from the City Hall to the La Union Botanical Garden was held. It is the government’s effort to help in the reduction of carbon and green-house gas emissions.
Two-hundred thirty students and 10 teachers from Mameltac Community School, Dallangayan Community School and the Dr. Quintin Balcita High School, also participated in the City Enro’s lecture on Ecological Solid Waste Management Program.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through Regional Director Corazon Davis, awarded two certificates of recognition to Mayor Ortega for his active and dynamic leadership in the promotion, upgrading and initiating environmental projects for the residents while a an award for pioneering the establishment of an engineered sanitary landfill in Region I, was also presented. |
