Category Archives: education
Iliranan Elementary School and Camarines Sur National High School, both winners of the National Search for Sustainable and Eco-friendly Schools, were given the ASEAN Eco-Schools Award during the celebration of the ASEAN Environment Year 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
With the theme “Environmental Awareness through Eco-Schools”, the ASEAN emphasized the critical role schools play in educating the youth, molding their minds, and building future environmentally-proactive citizens of the world.
Should people in the Philippines take advantage of video or audio conferencing?
Now, more than ever, people have been embracing technology and the best way to get our messages across is to approach and communicate with our “target audience” using the channel or medium they prefer.
The other week, Metro Manila Sangguniang Kabataan officials were treated to an environment forum where one of their outputs is to come up with a Communications Plan which they would have to implement in their barangays.
Not able to stay long to wait for their outputs but I hope they included in their Plans a mix of traditional and non-trad means (old and modern), especially since their primary audience are the youth.
Sometimes, communication fails because we choose the wrong way to send our message. So what should we all do? Plan carefully. Here’s a communication plan model you could use, somehow patterned from the Model of Mr. Richard Jurin. I provided a sample (garbage) to hopefully make it even more easy for you to understand.
1. Environmental Scanning. You have to take a good look around your community to identify problems and see what areas could be improved.
2. Statement of the Problem: Garbage in Barangays
3. Goals: Make the youth active implementers of proper ecological solid waste management
4. Objectives: Introduce ecological solid waste management to the youth in the barangay; get the youth involved in clean-up drives; establish a Youth-led SWM program
5. Audience Analysis: Youth Sector (but you have to break it down further. Will you be addressing out-of school youth? Would you be addressing rick kids?)
6. Message Development: Green Revolution: “Kabataan… Kalikasan… Kinabukasan” (a general sample)
7. Media Choice and Design (print, broadcast, social networking sites)
8. Timeline (as your budget would allow, would you be doing the campaign for a year? long term or short term?)
9. Outcome and Impact Evaluation (you have to do some surveys after so you would know if you have been successful in your campaign. If you’re not, time to improve your message or your channel).
Honorable Senator Loren Legarda adopted Senate Resolution No. 666 commending the grand winners of the 2011 National Search for Sustainable and Eco-friendly Schools.
This year’s grand winners are Iliranan Elementary School in Negros Occidental, Camarines Sur National High School in Naga City and De La Salle University-Dasmariflas in Cavite, commended by the Senator for serving as inspirations among schools in their pursuit to be a green learning institution, where students become aware of their roles in protecting the environment.
Full copy of the resolution may be found here: http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/1256710625!.pdf
Here’s an article about Camarines National High School, the Philippines’ most sustainable and eco-friendly school for 2011.
CAMARINES SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Naga City, Camarines Sur
Bicol (Region 5)
The Camarines Sur National High School Youth-for-Environment-in-School Organization (YES-O) facilitates environmental projects by mobilizing the school through activities like tree planting and parenting(CSNHS Forest Park Project); symposia on environment and health concerns; street and coastal cleanup; environmental campaigns through signage, bulletin announcements; Green film showing; essays and poster-making contests; solid waste recovery through Project SAVE; and participation in international Earth-saving events like Green Wave, Earth Hour, etc.
With the school’s ‘Basura Ko, Dala Ko’ and ‘Reward System’, paper conservation and plastic wrappers policies minimized the solid wastes in the campus.
With ‘School in a Garden’ program, the school maintains mini-gardens, medicinal garden, mini-forest, urban vegetable garden, orchidarium, big trees and a 3-hectare area in Mt. Isarog Natural Park.
The school also manages Aquaculture Project, Livestock Farming, and Project Rain Gauge. School Maintenance, Repairs and Disaster Committees monitor other resources like electricity, waterways, and buildings.
Embedded in its vision and mission, school’s curricula promote environmental awareness specifically through Family Farming Curriculum (FFC) and Engineering and Science Education Program (ESEP).
Linkages with SM Holdings, DOST, DENR, BFAR, MNWD, LGU and international organizations like SMART, Inc., WWF, UNEP and Ocean Conservancy are established for these environmental projects.
Here’s a highlight of two of the school’s environmental programs:
Waste Management Program
To promote zero waste, paper (in different colors), newspapers, PET bottles, aluminum cans, other plastics were collected separately and deposited at an area in the ESF Bldg (main campus) and in Liboton Campus to be sold and disposed regularly for recycling in a junk shop recommended by the City ENRO.
The income generated from the sale of wastes like paper and carton is utilized by the individual classes for their cleaning materials. Sales of materials recovered supported YES-O Environmental Projects.
Water Conservation Program
Reminders on water conservation are posted in all faucets in the campus. The Physical Facilities Committee also regularly inspects all faucets and water pipes, and are repaired when necessary.Also, water conservation is one of the criteria for the school search for “Best Comfort Room”.
** Article lifted with permission from the Environmental Management Bureau.
Congratulations to the students and faculty!