The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) MIMAROPA, through the Social Welfare and Development Team (SWADT) in Occidental Mindoro, joined the kick-off ceremony of the Philippine Environmental Month Celebration on June 1, 2024, at Barangay Batasan, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro.

With the theme “No to Waste: Advancing Circular Economy to Beat Plastic Pollution”, the 2024 Environment Month focused on actions to beat plastic pollution.

By virtue of Proclamation No. 237, by then President Corazon Aquino declared every month of June as Philippine Environment Month.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is the frontline government agency tasked with spearheading the activity since the issuance of Proclamation No. 237.

For this year’s celebration, around 450 individuals from different government offices and organizations took part in the celebration, including the DSWD personnel, KALAHI-CIDSS Community Volunteers, barangay and parents leaders, Indigenous People, CENRO staff, and other environmental advocates.

Sheila D. Sarabia, SWADT Leader represented DSWD MIMAROPA and emphasized the importance of the DSWD convergence strategy to the vision of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in promoting a healthier and cleaner environment, social protection, community resilience, and community empowerment.

The different programs and services of DSWD such as DRMD, KALAHI-CIDSS PAMANA, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), and others plays a significant role and contribute to protecting the environment, Sarabia added.

Further, the need to strengthen partnership with the environment sector to educate and integrate the environmental protection and preservation and climate change adaptation in the targeted and served vulnerable beneficiaries of the program is vital.

One of the highlights of the activity was the potting of different seedlings in the nursery site of CENRO in Barangay Batasan which produced 1,000 potting soils for bamboo propagules, 2,500 potting of soils for fruit-bearing trees, and 3,000 potting soils for indigenous local trees.

Technical staff from CENRO discussed the importance of soil and seedling preparation and provided actual hands-on demonstrations on soil potting.#