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Column: ROTARY GREEN
By Chaie Reforma
Title: Pilipinas Verde on the Move


There can never be enough environment preservation efforts to sustain our ecosystem for generations to come. The Rotary Club of Makati San Antonio knows this only too well. That is why it has become such a believer in greening efforts that it has launched its very own environment program called Pilipinas Verde. Pilipinas Verde is a program for the enrichment, rehabilitation and development of the environment. Still in its very early stage of conception, it already has three major thrusts which are being pursued through critical programs that address the growing need for greater awareness and affirmative action in the fight against environmental degradation.

The first project under the Pilipinas Verde banner is the Puno Pilipinas tree planting program. Aligned with the United Nations Environment Development Program, it aims to contribute to the Billion Trees campaign. A thousand trees are earmarked for 2010 and the aim is to grow this number twofold in the next three (3) years. Five locations have been identified for reforestation and these are: the La Mesa Watershed Nature Preserve, Timberland Heights in Montalban Rizal, the Trece Martires community, the Family Haven Farm in Tanauan, Batangas and the Buso-buso farm in Antipolo. This program has been enjoying popular support among the the club members and their families who always participate in the tree planting activities.

The second program is the Natural Farming Seminar series. It aims to raise awareness and appreciation for using natural methods in farming or even just planting simple vegetation in one’s own backyard. We become instruments in spreading the word about Natural Farming by conducting educational seminars that promote the concept of working with natural energies rather than trying to subdue nature. In brief, what natural farming does is to make use of beneficial microorganisms in bringing the soil and the environment back to its original form without the need for insecticide or fungicide. While this approach may yield more benefits for small farms rather than big agricultural businesses, it is -- we believe -- the best approach so far to a truly sustainable living.

Third, we have the One Bag Down program that aims to help in reducing waste especially in tourist sites where there is a tendency for garbage to pile up due to high traffic. Cleaning up the world may seem like a daunting task, especially if we consider how much mess everyone has made through many, many years. Big, elaborate rebuilding plans are needed -- and everything needs to be put into action. We must not forget, however, the very basic task: if the world has become littered with garbage, then the most logical starting point is to pick them up and do some real cleaning. It may sound like a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.

These programs are the basic starting points of our effort to carry out a legacy that instills a deep respect for the environment as the only source of sustenance in this world. Our natural human instinct is to protect rather than to destroy and every one of us has the responsibility to harness the environment for its many benefits without destroying it so that future generations may also reap its blessings.

Ms. Reforma is President of the Rotary Club of Makati San Antonio