Event Geek

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) partnered with the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) in restoring the Philippine's biodiversity through the Generation, Redemption, and Expansion of Natural Resources Initiatives in the Philippines (GREENIN' Philippines) program of RAFI.

The two institutions signed a partnership agreement on Sept. 24 at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, which capped the week-long 2010 CEAP National Convention.

The agreement was signed by CEAP President Msgr. Gerardo O. Santos and RAFI Board of Trustees Treasurer Mikel A. Aboitiz.

CEAP member school presidents, deans, administrators and representatives also showed their support to the GREENIN' Philippines Program during the convention by affixing their signatures on tree stickers and posting them on a "landscaped" wall. The tree stickers simulated a forest made up of native trees.

CEAP is hoping that with this (formal agreement), it can influence not only the children of our schools but also their families and communities (in restoring our environment),CEAP Program officers and convention organizer Ines Basen said.

According to Ruth Rowena Alensonorin, executive director of the Center for Integrated Area Development of RAFI, the foundation's partnership with CEAP will enable the GREENIN' Philippines Program to roll out its strategies at the national level and replicate best practives in environmental protection throughout the country.

The GREENIN' Philippines Program seeks to develop, protect, enhance, and co-manage denuded forestlands, including bushlands and degraded residual natural forests. It was formed as RAFI's way of contributing to the country's commitment of achieving the seventh goal of the Millennium Development Goals, which is to ensure environmental sustainability by reversing the loss of natural resources.

The program goes beyond the usual tree-planting interventions. It involves using native tree seedlings as viable planting materials in all its restoration and rehabilitation efforts.

Its vision of "creating real forests" aptly describes the program's purpose and intent that necessitates implementing viable environmental initiatives that are integrated, and holistic in manner and collaborative in nature.

RAFI will coordinate closely with CEAP in the development of a detailed implementation plan and provide the necessary technical support in the execution of the GREENIN' Philippines Program.

RAFI will also facilitate a process that will enjoin all regional members to commit to the implementation of the GREENIN' Philippines Program in their respective areas. The foundation will also facilitate the transfer of program technologies, systems and capacities to CEAP members.

As a partner, CEAP will champion the GREENIN' Philippines program by cascading program purpose, principles, systems, processes, approaches, and interventions to its respective member schools.

This means CEAP will provide the mandaue and a system for the program to expand initiatives in various areas where there are CEAP member schools and partners.

CEAP will interate the GREENIN' Philippines Program in its curriculum, (plan for) teacher and youth training on how RAFI implements its GREENIN' Philippines Program because we need to know how to do it (biodiversity restoration) right. With the help of RAFI, we want our schools to have their own nurseries. In our outreach activities, we would like to be the arm of RAFI in greening different areas in the country" Basean said.

This year's CEAP National Convention carries the theme, "A Heart for Eden, A Hand at Ecology."

Basean explained that CEAP became interested to partner with RAFI because of the foundation's GREENIN' Philippines Program that will serve as a venue for CEAP's 1,286 member schools to help protect the Philippine's environment and biodiversity.

Part of the partnership agreement is for RAFI and CEAP member schools to set-up native tree nurseries in appropriate areas as a mechanism of ensuring availability of seedling sources and planting materials for the many rehabilitation activities that will be made in the future.

Presently, RAFI has established three native tree nurseries in balamban, Cebu in partnership with the Cebu Industial park Developers Inc., and in Aloguinsan, Cebu and San Francisco, Camotes Island, Cebu in partnership with the local government units.

These satellite nurseries have become major suppliers of native tree seedlings in their immediate vicinities.

During the CEAP National Convention, RAFI opened a forest exhibit that showcased the different kinds of native trees. RAFI gave native tree seedlings such as tugas, narra, and bitanghol as prizes to individuals who answered correctly trivia questions and word puzzles.

RAFI also presented the GREENIN' Philippines Program is one of the programs under RAFI's integrated development focus area, one of the five key areas in RAFI's comprehensive approach to elevating lives and communities. Its other focus areas are leadership and citizenship, culture and heritage, micro-finance and Entrepreneurship and Education.