Luntiang Pilipinas Nationwide Search For The Best School Forest Park

It is an honor and privilege to be with you this morning for the launch of DepEd’s Nationwide Search for Best School Forest Park. I am truly grateful for the support that the Department has shown for two advocacies that are closest to my heart - education and the environment.

Almost a year ago, I also joined Secretary Lapus for the celebration of the Centennial of Baguio Teachers Camp where we formalized an agreement between the Department of Education and Luntiang Pilipinas, an environmental organization which I head, in utilizing our educational system to help increase the awareness of our young people on issues and concerns affecting the environment. Under this partnership, we endeavor to jointly undertake programs and other initiatives to raise the level of awareness of the younger generations not only on the irreversible effects of the decline of the state of our environment, but more importantly, to spur our youth into action so that you, our dear students, will be instrumental in changing the world we live in.

Hindi kaila sa ating lahat na ang mga problema at trahedya na dulot ng kalikasan ay naka-ugat sa ating kapabayaan, kawalang-bahala at walang pagmamalasakit sa ating kapaligiran. Ang pagpuputol ng punong-kahoy sa ating kagubatan, ang pagmimina sa ating mga kabundukan, ang pagtatapon ng basura sa ating mga estero, ilog at dagat, o maging ang polusyon na dulot ng mga sasakayan at pagawaan ay ilan lamang sa mga tila simpleng bagay na, dahil sa ating kapabayaan, ay nagdudulot ngayon ng kapinsalaan at kapahamakan sa ating populasyon at sa ating lipunan. Noong mga nakaraang buwan, damang-dama na natin ang epekto ng climate change na dulot din ng globalwarming o ang mga pagbabago sa ating mga weather patterns.  Ang ating klima noong panahon ng Kapaskuhan ay dumanas tayo ng matinding lamig, lalo na ang ating mga kababayan sa Norte, maging dito sa ka-Maynila-an. Ngayon naman ay unti-unti na nating nararamdaman ang simula ng matinding init na malamang ay ating dadanasin sa darating na summer o sa bakasyon. Ang climate change ay isa sa aking mga adhikain na nais ipaalam sa ating mga kabayan, sapagkat hindi rin po kaila sa atin na, kung hindi natin magagawan ng paraan na bigyan-kakayanan ang ating mga kababayan at ang ating sariling pamahalaan upang maging handa at, kung maari, ay maiwasan ang mga di-magandang epekto na idudulot ng global warming, ay patuloy lamang nating papasanin, titikisin at pagdurusahan ang masamang epekto ng mga pangyayaring ito.

Kung kaya’t ang layunin po ng ating pagtutulungan, lalo’t higit sa tulong ng ating mga guro at ng ating mga educators, ay mahubog at malinang ang kaisipan at kakayanan ng ating mga kabataan upang sila ay mahikayat na kumilos, tumulong at makiisa tungo sa pangangalaga ng ating kapaligiran, kalikasan at mga likas na yaman.

I cannot over-emphasize the urgent and compelling need to stress upon you the importance of educating our youth on environmental protection. Just recently the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008 was enacted into law. Republic Act 9512, which I co-authored in the Senate, seeks to integrate the environmental education in school curricula at all levels, whether public or private, including in barangay daycare, pre-school, non formal, technical vocational, professional level, indigenous learning and out of school youth courses or programs. In fact, you would perhaps be surprised to note that as early as 1977, there was already a similar law. Unfortunately, the law has remained unimplemented even until now.

We understand that environmental educators have already prepared a complete module for primary and secondary education. It is a matter for the Department of Education to adopt and implement it throughout the country in all public and private schools.  And I am confident that, under the able leadership of Secretary Lapus, this vision will soon be realized — to raise the level of environmental awareness of our people, especially the young and spur them into action to help, even in small steps, care for the environment.

After all, all forms of education - formal and informal - result in a very important engineering marvel: the re-engineering of the mind. With a changed mindset, we will begin to think differently and then act accordingly.  We will then not debate on the why of the things that we need to do for our selves, for our country and for the benefit of the future generations. Rather, we will only cooperate and work together on when, where, who and how we can do the job faster, better, and with greater effect.

At this juncture, allow me to congratulate and express my profound gratitude to Secretary Lapus and the officials of the Department for finally giving in to our persistent calls and follow-ups and for pushing through with this joint project. This Nationwide Search for the Best School Forest Park, a competition among all public secondary high schools, where students and teachers alike are enjoined to establish and maintain their own campus forest parks.

As you know, Luntiang Pilipinas was founded 10 years ago to primarily help raise the level of awareness of the public on the value of trees. Trees are essential and crucial to our survival, especially during these times when inundation, flood, drought and pollution have alternately caused harm and danger to our communities. Through this competition, we hope to help our young people gain better appreciation of trees and the environment in general. I understand that the DepEd which shall be the head of the Secretariat for this competition has already issued Memorandum Circular No. 416, on September 5, 2008, informing all our public high schools of the mechanics of the competition. And I am pleased to inform you that this early, we have already received hundreds of entries from interested schools nationwide. And because of this, the Department has decided to extend the deadline for submission of entries until the end of this month. I therefore humbly seek your whole-hearted support and commitment still to enjoin your fellow teachers and students to participate in this very noble endeavor.

With your support and cooperation, we shall soon see and benefit from a Luntiang Pilipinas. Magandang umaga at mabuhay tayong lahat!