ILOILO City – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is urging Ilonggos to actively participate in the nationwide observance of Philippine Environment Month this June, with a strong focus on combating global plastic pollution.
Anchored on the theme “Ending Global Plastic Pollution,” the month-long campaign officially begins Monday, June 2, with a kick-off activity at the DENR Region 6 courtyard here.
The event aims to raise awareness and inspire collective action toward building a greener and more sustainable future.
“Let’s gather to learn, inspire, and take action. Together, we can make a real impact in the fight against plastic pollution,” said DENR Region 6 officer-in-charge Regional Executive Director Raul Lorilla in an advisory.
DENR-6, in coordination with its provincial and municipal counterparts (PENROs and CENROs/MENROs), has lined up a series of activities throughout June. These include educational lectures on solid waste management aimed at helping communities understand how to manage waste responsibly — especially plastic, which remains a top environmental threat.
The kick-off program today will include:
* 8:45 a.m. – 10 a.m. – Opening ceremony with messages from key officials, including Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Director Cecilia L. Ochavo-Saycon, Environment Management Bureau Regional Director Atty. Ramar Niel V. Pascua, and DENR-6 OIC Regional Executive Director Raul Lorilla.
* 10 a.m. – A short environmental lecture by EMB-6 Solid Waste Management staff Cherry Calapa-an.
* 10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – Handog Hunol, a special tree seedling distribution to nearby offices as a gesture of environmental solidarity and reforestation advocacy.
DENR-6’s observance aligns with Proclamation No. 237, issued on April 4, 1988, by then-President Corazon C. Aquino, declaring June as Philippine Environment Month to emphasize the importance of environmental protection and sustainable development.
The campaign also coincides with the global World Environment Day on June 5, as recognized under Proclamation No. 1149, s. 1973 by the late President Ferdinand Marcos, following a 1972 United Nations resolution encouraging member states to take decisive environmental action./PN
