World Wildlife Day is an annual celebration that takes place every 3rd day of March. This day is dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of protecting wildlife and their habitats. The United Nations General Assembly first declared March 3rd as World Wildlife Day in 2013, and it has been celebrated every year since then.

The theme for World Wildlife Day changes every year and it varies. The theme for this year, 2023 is "Partnerships in Wildlife Conservation". This year's theme emphasizes the importance partner agencies, organizations and individuals. Ensuring a greener future for the next generations is not just the work of a lone individual but of a collective effort from everyone living on this planet. To enjoy the benefits of a healthy and diverse natural world. The theme also highlights the need for collective action to address the threats facing wildlife and their habitats.

 

Hamilo Coast through its developer, SM Prime’s Costa Del Hamilo, Inc. safeguards a 20-hectare mangrove forest, the largest of its kind in Nasugbu, Batangas. Together with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines), Hamilo Coast continues to preserve over 50,000 mangrove trees to date as it remains committed to its advocacy for environmental and social sustainability.

Hack4Food: Agriculture and Food Innovation Challenge 2022 aims to foster creativity and collaboration in solving the challenges facing agriculture and food systems. The agriculture and food value chain -- from production to distribution, and up to consumption-- can substantially gain from clever imagination and novel thinking.

The Philippines is home to an estimated 111 million people spread across its 7,641 islands. Ensuring food sustainability and inclusivity for its growing population is serious business. Achieving the desired state of agriculture will require a lot of work from both the public and private sectors. The youth of our country have a substantial stake in propelling the developmental progress of agriculture as they will inherit all its gifts and ills.

This one-week virtual hackathon challenges the youth to step-up and make a positive impact in agriculture and food challenges. It is open to all stakeholders passionate about the fate of the planet and its inhabitants and committed to make a difference.

Hack4Food is brought to you by the Rotary Club of Makati (RCM), in collaboration with Rotary Club of Bay, Rotaract Club of Makati, and the Analytics Association of the Philippines (AAP). Challenges

• Improving the lives of farmers/fisherfolks through enhanced economies of scale (i.e., reduced production costs, increased yields, decreased cost per unit of output);

• Empowering farmers through collective action and by aggregating their outputs into viable clusters that improve operations and profits;

• Enhancing farmer profits through direct matching of producer and buyer; and reducing the participation of middlemen to the lowest possible level without adversely affecting the supply chain;

• Supporting and encouraging farmers to engage in crop diversification, which has been proven to help fertilize the soil;

• Implementing digital technologies and data analytics which enhance overall farm productivity and efficiency;

• Creating object detection technologies which can aid in production and/or distribution decisions;

• Designing value chains that take into account climate change and other sources of risks;

• Developing forecasting models and tools that guide decision-making in value chains;

Prizes

Eligibility

• Groups of 2-5 or individuals
• Filipino citizens within the Philippines
• No age limit

Registration
Please visit hack4food.co for more details. Deadline is on Saturday, February 26th, 2022 at 11:59 PM.

Contact
For any questions and concerns, please e-mail at info@hack4food.co.

In just a span of one month, I have been to a few events that tackled the issues concerning the environment and more particularly with Climate change. It is a global issue, or rather it is now considered a crisis that everyone needs to react to and do something about it. Environmental organizations today are pushing for immediate solutions.

Just recently, I find myself rushing and coursing through the traffic of EDSA. It's really becoming a problem and one of the causes of carbon emissions. The government should really find ways to control this. Anyway, I was late but still was able to grasp what was Lamudi is pushing through with the talk.

The issue of Climate Change is one that is pushing the Philippines to act upon its weak spots and harness its strengths. “It’s inevitable,” Lamudi CEO Bhavna Suresh says during the media roundtable. This is in partnership weth Holcim Philippines and Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA). Though the country may be facing a dire situation, there is plenty to be done in response to climate change, from big, industrial efforts to small, household changes.

Lamudi's first panel of discussion is about Sustainability Efforts for the Philippines of NGOs and Private Organizations. NGOs, private organizations, and green developers were represented in the discussion, which tackled the roadblocks to green development in the Philippines and determined the efforts already in place to steer the country into a greener future.

Highlighting Resilience

“Most of our coastal municipalities want to be cities eventually. How do we push them towards not just sustainability but also push them to also look at measures that will make them resilient as well?” Atty. Angela Ibay, Head of the Climate and Energy Program of the World Wide Fund for Nature, posed an important question at the roundtable, steering right into the thick of the important topic of sustainability and climate change.

Angela Ibay, Head, Climate and Energy Program of the World Wide Fund for Nature

In a country that is dotted with high-rise mixed-use buildings and humble coastal homes, the effort to save the environment is tightly coupled with the measures developers can take to safeguard the value of their legacy. One solution, something as simple as planting trees, encourages the growth of foliage and relieves some of the urban heat island effects our cities are experiencing right now. However, it is not enough.

“It’s not a question anymore of whether you can control climate change or not. It’s about adapting to the effects of climate change. It’s here. We are experiencing it now,” says Wesley Caballa, Senior Manager for Sustainability of Costa Del Hamilo Inc. According to Caballa, Hamilo is actively pursuing efforts to protect mangrove forests to do their part as a company.

Hamilo is one of many companies that have started making changes in keeping with a more climate-conscious business ethos. Climate change has not spared the Philippines with its onslaught, and with lives at stake, developers cannot sit around and wait.

Wesley Caballa, Senior Manager for Sustainability of Costa Del Hamilo Inc.

“We are already in an area of the world that is highly, highly susceptible to all these natural disasters, and climate change made us more vulnerable to that,” adds Justine Santos-Sugay, Director for Resource Development and Communications of Habitat for Humanity.

Addressing Roadblocks to Sustainability

The Philippines has not been remiss when it comes to sustainable efforts. One of the problems developers and real estate experts face, however, is misinformation or lack of dissemination at the grassroots.

“When you ask a common fisherman, ‘What do you know about climate change?’ Sometimes they say it’s synonymous to disaster without knowing why,” adds Caballa. “It’s really important for them to know what is wrong, what climate change is all about.”

Santos-Sugay weighs in: “When you think about it, when you look at the issue of climate change, climate change seems to exaggerate or re-highlight a lot of the already pre-existing social themes.”

Justine Santos-Sugay, Director for Resource Development and Communications of Habitat for Humanity

One issue all Filipinos will relate to, especially in the Philippine capital, is the water shortage. Despite the typhoons that visit the country and leave damage in low-lying areas, there is water shortage because the rainfall missed the dams that are meant to supply water to the majority of the city. Ferdz dela Cruz, former Chief Executive Officer of Manila Water Company, Inc., emphasizes the urgency of the matter: “It’s up to us to make hard choices for us to be resilient. There are no easy choices at this point. For us to make that, we need to have a constructive dialog and without the misinformation.”

Ferdz dela Cruz, Former Chief Executive Officer of Manila Water Company, Inc.

Dela Cruz also mentions the disparity in the supply and demand for water supply. According to him, “There are two issues on water--there’s the supply side and there’s the demand side. On the supply side, there is a roadmap of what needs to be done, but there are delays in the execution of the roadmap. There’s always opposition to a big water project.”

Long-term solutions to water shortage and climate change are further hampered by the lack of initiative at the individual level. According to Dela Cruz, people forget about the problem once they have water, but it quickly resurfaces when another water shortage is felt.

Sustainability in the Commercial and Industrial Sectors

Much of the effort real estate developers have put into sustainability can be seen in the commercial buildings they have strategically positioned in key cities. Jaime “JJ” Fernandez, Strategic Management Consultant of Menarco Development Corporation, mentions the savings Menarco Tower is able to pass on to its tenants through its sustainable design. According to Fernandez, “There is an estimate that the tenant will save about 20% in terms of energy consumption because the way the building is built is very efficient.”

Fernandez also highlights the human aspect of thinking sustainable. “Prospective tenants would rather pay a little bit more rent” when they know the building will take care of their employees.

This, paired with Dela Cruz’s observation that people will be more responsible if the problem pinches their bill, makes the case for green developments: rather than lose money in inefficient designs, developers, tenants, and residents can save by prioritizing sustainability.

James Buskowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Buskowitz Group

The Philippines, which receives ample sunlight because of its equatorial location, can do more to utilize solar energy, one of the most efficient ways to be sustainable. James Buskowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Buskowitz Group, explains that projects harvesting solar energy come in levels: “Residential scale has always been the goal, but not in the beginning. Typically, when a country starts developing solar projects, it always starts with utility, then it goes to commercial-industrial rooftops, then it goes residential.”

JJ Fernandez, Strategic Management Consultant of Menarco Development Corporation

Ar. Amado de Jesus, Vice Chairman of the Philippine Green Building Initiative

Now, it's really great that even big companies like Lamudi are creating solutions even in simplest ways.

An eye-opener and an immediate call not only to save Ilog Pasig but to save the world, PhilPop, Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), and National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) have teamed up for this two-day Mini Bootcamp of Taga-Alog, which includes a songwriting workshop that aims to promote Ilog Pasig as a center of cultural narrative and heritage, as well as raise awareness for the rehabilitation efforts of the river through a creative advocacy in music.

This is perhaps one of the clearest languages not only to one's ears but also to the innermost, deep inside the heart. Being part of the observer of the Mini Bootcamp it is a privilege to learn from three of the best songwriters in the country, Noel Cabangon, Trina Belamide, and Jungee Marcelo. I have not only learned the construction of music but also learned some of the processes on how to create and come up with inspiring and moving songs.  Of course, there is also the learnings about the current stage of our environment based on the talks from DENR and Maynilad reps.

So, how did the songwriting went? Well, as mentioned it is advocacy and it is led by the three acclaimed and award-winning songwriters/ professionals in the music industry, Noel Cabangon, Trina Belamide, and Jungee Marcelo. The Mini Bootcamp is joined by upcoming composers and songwriters who have shown immense promise in writing the next big anthem for the environment.

After the success of TampisAwit last year, PETA and NCCA have expanded the mentorship program for budding songwriters and composers by tapping PhilPop to come up with a more comprehensive syllabus that put emphasis on Songwriting for Advocacy.

During the camp activities, coaches gave some short talks about song composition in which participants were very much attentive, as I am also. Right after they were given some activities to test creativity. Then it was followed by a short presentation.

"This time, we're not only imparting techniques to improve their craft," that's according to Taga-Alog Mini Bootcamp 2019 Chairman Noel Cabangon. He also added, "It is also our responsibility to prepare them in the real world, and help them pitch advocacy concepts that are geared toward creative ways to build awareness on various environmental causes. As musicians, we are more than just entertainers; we can change the world with our art."


The two-day songwriting workshop and competition culminated with the performance of the top 5 finalists and the announcement of the top 3songs. The first winner was given a grant for the official recording and promotions during the entire Taga-Alog campaign for 2019.

The winners are

1st Place - Suzanne Samson / “Ilog Pasig Laban”
2nd Place - Gerard de Leon & Rica Francisco / “Bangon, Ilog”
3rd Place - Randy Pusing / “Kayang-kaya”

This was my post back in 2010 https://www.kwentonitoto.com/2010/10/recycling-tips-plastic.html. Giving tips on how to recycle plastics. I'm not sure how many people were reached and informed about this article but I'm very much thankful that I was able to share it online.

After 9 years of gradual reducing, reusing, and recycling it has become irrelevant now, it isn't the solution anymore we need to make a drastic change and raise the banner of saving the planet if we want to save the future of humanity. As most of environmentalists and scientist are now telling we don't have much time, we are now in crisis. The changes in weather patterns, climate changes, and earthquakes are signs that the planet is in chaos.


What happened to the call of Severn Cullis-Suzuki at Rio Summit in 1992? There were agendas created but the execution wasn't enough. Now, Greta Thunberg is sacrificing her Fridays not attending school to protest and force the government to shut down factories and companies degrading the environment. We only have a few more years to go before everything that we so-called living planet will be gone.



We people haven't really learned! The story created by Dr. Seuss, The Lorax, isn't just a story for kids but it transcends every generation and yet we haven't learned from it.


Climate change has already reached the level of a planet-wide emergency - with devastating consequences for people and all living things. And it is quickly becoming much worse.

According to scientists, in order to stop the increase of the earth’s temperature at the safest level still possible – below 1.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels – the rich industrialized countries have to reach near-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2030 and all other countries have to reach near-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050.

This coming September 20-27, 2019, different parts of the world will conduct Global Mobilization for the Climate Emergency! For the Philippines, you may join on September 20 at Liwasang Aurora, Quezon Memorial Circle, QC 1:30PM to 6:00PM.

Keeping in mind and thoroughly going through the meaning of sustainability in relation to an organization makes the whole process, operations and implementing stands of TGI Fridays easier to look at and understand. The company operates by licensing its products to other companies for better and faster retrieval and ordering of the company's raw material needs. Going through a limited resources from the company's management and operations I was able to analyze and get data concerning their needs and what areas to improve in terms of sustainability.

Global brand needs to set a standard and for a company that is known to most people, accreditation for standardization from third party boost up the quality of the services plus uplifts the status is a must. As for TGI Friday's Restaurant's sustainability matters, ISO 14001 is one of them.

The second principle is The Economic Domain which implies more on the demand and supply. “Adopt an appropriate accounting system, fully aligned with the planet's ecological process and reflecting true, comprehensive biospheric pricing to guide the economy.” This domain or principles tells more about the things a company or organization should know, one is the demand and supply which is always present in the management system of a company or organization and in the case of TGI Friday's demand and supply plays a very important role. In order to sustain the operation of the company there should be an abundant resources in order to supply the needs of their customers.

Companies evolve and sometimes dissolve. The life span of companies is based in its sustainability, the stronger the foundation to sustain the company the longer its life span. Development and progress occurs when sustainability is present.

Sustainable Development or Sustainability may have been the most and well used term at present, specifically in organizations, governments and companies that participates after the United Nations released the report of the World Commission on Environment and Development that warns not only governments of every country but also companies and organization to use the present natural resources wisely.  With this, everyone started using the term “sustainable development’ as a major concept in preserving the natural resources and at the same time progress and develop for the good of everyone.

Just right before the Earth Hour Kwento Ni Toto would like to share some of the things that we all should be doing in saving the environment. Not much of a number but perhaps we consider it as the top things to be done for the environment.

One of the Philippine’s active environmental movement, the Students’ Actions Vital to the Environment and Mother Earth Movement, Inc or SAVE ME Movement, Inc will hold its 7th Annual National Convention with the theme “Towards a Responsive Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation: Forging Sustainable Partnership among the Academe, Local Authorities and Civil Society Organizations for Resilient Communities” on January 29 to 31, 2015 at the Boracay Ecovillage Resort and Convention Center, Yapak Boracay Island, Malay, Aklan.

This coming Saturday, March 23, 2013 Kwento Ni Toto will be joining the call to save Mother Earth.  We'll be going beyond the 60 minutes energy conservation.

You too can join and participate with the call right into your houses or places.  Let us all support Earth Hour and save the world.

Here's one of Kwento Ni Toto's mostly likely things to do... save the environment!  Yup, and since we cannot literally pick trash online well sharing things that can help reduce waste and help MOTHER EARTH is the least that we can do online.  Gladly here's one brand that aims to do the same as well with their reusable bags and it is called BagsGo, an on-the-go bag.  This is exactly what this new, revolutionary reusable bag is trying to do: HELP YOU HELP SAVE THE EARTH.

‘Go Green,’ Kraft Foods Philippines’ (KFP) program to help save water and energy and reduce carbon emissions was given the Gold Award for Environmental Excellence at the 4th Global CSR Awards 2012.

Kraft Foods Philippines’ Gold Award for Environmental Excellence was handed by Hon. Mayor John Yap of Malay, Aklan (center) and Atty. Michael Frederick Musngi (right) Undersecretary for Special Concerns of the Office of the Executive Secretary, The Office of the President of The Philippines, to the Company’s Communications Officer Caitlin P. Punzalan (left) during the 4th Global CSR Awards.

Held April 19, 2012 in Boracay, the Global CSR Awards prides itself as Asia's most prestigious recognition awards program for corporate social responsibility (CSR). The Awards Program is organized by The Pinnacle Group International based in Singapore and recognizes companies for outstanding programs, which demonstrate ongoing commitment to respect for individuals, communities and the environment in the way they do business.

This is the 5th award that Kraft Foods has received for its ‘Go Green’ program in two years. Kraft Foods aims to help in the preservation of the environment by ensuring that reducing, recovering and recycling precious resources is part of its business. ‘Go Green’ is aimed at reducing Kraft Foods’ use of water and energy and lessening its carbon emissions. One way which Kraft Foods helps Mother Earth through ‘Go Green’ is the recent upgrading of its water recycling facility.

Kraft Foods’ new water recycling facility. This allows the Company to use treated or recycled water for many other purposes. Previously only used for maintenance tasks, the water that Kraft Foods recycles is now being used for cleaning inside its manufacturing facility.

In March of this year, Kraft Foods inaugurated its improved water recycling facility for its Sucat, Parañaque manufacturing plant. This upgraded facility utilizes reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light to treat the water that Kraft Foods uses in its production activities.

To ‘treat’ means to remove impurities the water has acquired through use. The goal of treating is to ensure that the water returns as close as possible to its natural state. By treating the water it has already used, Kraft Foods is able to use less fresh water and help in preserving this natural resource.

“I am personally very pleased to share that with this improvement initiative, Kraft Foods will be able to make a significant reduction to its water consumption,” says Sudip Mall, Kraft Foods Philippines’ General Manager. The amount of water that Kraft Foods hopes to reduce with this new facility is equivalent to filling up 4 Olympic-sized swimming pools or 581,000 5-gallon containers of water!

Kraft Foods recently inaugurated its improved water recycling facility for its Sucat, Parañaque Plant. The new facility aims to help reduce and recycle the water Kraft Foods uses for its manufacturing activities. This initiative is part of Kraft Foods’ 5-year ‘Go Green’ program aimed at reducing not only its water use but its energy use and carbon emissions as well.

He continues, “Our programs like ‘Go Green,’ don’t just make sense for our business. We also work to protect resources for future generations. I would like to add that it is truly remarkable the way our employees have relentlessly focused on driving our environmental initiatives, of which this facility is an example. We are very proud of the award bestowed upon us and this new phase of our program for the planet’s betterment.”

Making every drop reusable. For many years, Kraft Foods has had a wastewater recycling program inside its plant. Before, the water the Company treats was used only for watering plants or other maintenance tasks. This new facility ensures the treated water can be used for much more.

This is because this specific process ensures that the treated water meets the high quality standards that Kraft Foods needs for its manufacturing activities. Instead of using fresh water to clean inside its production area, the treated water is now used instead.

“We have been a community partner of Parañaque for almost 50 years, since our plant opened in 1963,” shares KFP’s Operations Director Gautam Pal. “This improved water recycling facility is another way of helping our community. By using less water, and using it smartly, we are able to contribute to our community’s efforts to save our water resources.”

In the future, Kraft Foods is looking at installing biomass boilers, or those, which use alternative energy sources, to reduce its carbon footprint even more. To find out the other ways Kraft Foods makes today delicious, visit www.kraftfoods.ph.

Create an eco-beautiful style with a demonstration on green living at the "Simply Ecological Earth Day Exhibit" from April 22-29.

In partnership with The Philippine School of Interior Design, the exhibit will feature an Eco-board on how to shop with sustainability in mind, and showcase 18 ec-inspired displays from Our Home, Muebles Asia, Modufit, Dos Pueblos, Lazy Boy, Muebles de Abubot, Urban Concepts, Dimensione, Contempo Design, Space and Style and Linden Teak.


More and more people around the world are finally realizing the importance of conserving our natural resources and protecting Mother Earth. We know that we can do our part by following thethree R's - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - but not a lot of people know that you can start right in your own home!

Come to Interior Zone at SM City North EDSA and find out how!

Why would Dr. Seuss write something about the environment and why have it in less comprehensive audience? As for my understanding during Dr. Seuss time it is very hard to go up against with big names and big companies. People standing up to their believes are being suppressed by powerful tyrants. They would not listen to any thoughts about the environment and the effects of what they are doing. Perhaps that's one of the reason why Dr. Seuss made it into a children's book. Also I think he got the idea that if you want to change the world start with the kids and children's books are one of the most powerful influencer. Kids read books whether it is in school or at home.

Not really sure if he had read Jose Rizal's writings but the idea of teaching the young ones the importance of the environment and letting them picture what will happen is somewhat similar to Jose Rizal's famous quote “the youth of today is the hope of tomorrow” (not exactly as it is but the thought is close enough).

The story of The Lorax does not only talks about the environment but it does show ideas of the economy as well and how filthy rich people takes advantage of different situation. In other words greediness comes in, moral issue is much more likely. Being opportunistic is not bad but grabbing the opportunity in the expense of others is not a good call of success.

Remember the story of a young girl who stands and talks about the environment in front of the representatives in the United Nations (not sure if it is a conference or a summit)conference? Yes, she made the whole world listen to what she have said and perhaps that was the start of the change. Just like the quote in Dr. Seuss The Lorax “unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.” It is indeed that unless there's one person that will make a small act, not only for the environment but also for the next generation to come, things will for sure change and it's for the better.

It was an opportunity seeing a movie like "The Lorax", especially this days that our world is experiencing an environmental issue.

The Lorax is one of Dr. Seuss classic children's book story and it was given life in 3D animation with wonderful new characters, including a boy, whose journey is to search for a magical creature that will win for him the affection of the girl he loves.

The Lorax' story centers on one of the most important issue of our time, saving our environment.  It is set in an imaginary world that is polluted and grim, because of Once-ler, a strange creature obsessed in cutting "Truffula" or trees, thinking that this will help him craft "Thneeds", which he thought everyone will need.  In the end, after realizing the sad consequences of his action, Once-ler gives the boy the last truffula seed and asked him to plaint it for trees and fauna to return.

The story of The Lorax is relevant today.  virtually almost all of the country's ecosystems have been significantly transformed or degraded.  Philippine ecosystems have changed more rapidly due to deforestation, pollution, urban congestion, marine and coastal degradation and loss of biodiversity, which have worsen the impacts of climate change in the Philippines.

"Trees are very important in the country's roadmap in the battle against climate change, they clean the air while at the same time serving as carbon sinks", Secretary Mary Ann Lucille Sering said.

The NCCAP, approved by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III November last year, has seven thematic priorities, one of which is Ecosystem and Environment stability.  Environmental sustainability therefore means maintaining healthy and stable ecosystems, which is a necessity especially amidst changing climate.





"Adapting to climate change requires the action of everyone.  We need to have everyone informed of what they can do to save the environment, and in the long run, the future generations.  We have to act now if we want our children to have genuine trees in their time", she said.

In cooperation with the United States Agency for International Development (USAid), the CCC aims to share the morale of the story to young and old alike as they launch their video against climate together with the premiere of the movie.

The video will be shown in all SM and Ayala cinemas for one whole year.

"Our video will show that people from all walks of life should be involved in addressing climate change.  Small actions count big, and collectively they can make an impact", she added.

"It's not too late. We still have genuine trees around us.  Climate change is here and we need to adapt.  Let's take care of the environment and we will be more climate resilient in the future," she said.

This video ad created by the Climate Change Commission together with the other agencies will be shown to all SM and Ayala Cinemas to raise the awareness of having renewable energies.  Watch the video and learn from it. Simple and yet informative.

This is the Shirt

One of the Miss Earth of 2008 who joined with us  in the Tree Planting Activity (It's not that shirt that I am donating. Hehehe)

Not an Environmental Activity but in the Organization it's called Social Environment (A Medical Mission for the indigent people in Pampanga)