Salute to Clean and Green Bohol Keepers!

The Conference of Parties (or COP), an annual conference with leaders and stakeholders and other civic society groups from UN member countries, will gather around and discuss the climate condition and how to lessen the impact of climate change this coming December. Different climate change programs and dialogue have been in place to heighten the climate change discussion in each country to urge the leaders to do something to limit the global warming to 1.5 °C before the last icebergs in Antarctica melts.

This year COP24 will be held in Katowice, Poland on Dec. 2-14, 2018, different leaders of respective member countries of the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to update and discussed what has been achieved since the passing of the Climate Change pact during the COP21 in Paris, France last December 2015. The Climate change action does not only mean reducing our energy consumption nor dealing with extreme weather conditions but also dealing with the onset impact on food production and security, climate change mitigations and human survival in extreme weather situations.

Bohol as an eco-cultural tourism destination is committed to stick with protecting its environment and maintain a sustainable eco-tourism and cultural development programs. The victory of the civic organization to block a proposed fossil fuel power plant in the province is just one of its bolder steps. Thus, municipalities continues to adopt a plastic free ordinance to lessen the use of single-use plastics and other activities where the local and tourist alike can share to help maintain the Province clean and green.

#WhenInBohol here are some organizations and what they have been doing where you can join to protect, help and promote clean and green Bohol whether you're a local or tourist.

Plastic Free Bohol together with 4Oceans conducts coastal clean-up and meet ups in the beautiful beaches of Bohol to maintain its cleanliness at the same time awareness sessions in week ends of the month. They call on volunteers to pick up trash that has been dominating in some beach areas and at the same time they lobbied for banning of single-use plastics in resorts and restaurants. They have even successfully organized the March for the Ocean this year (June 9, 2018) together with the Bohol Climate Walkers  and several volunteers local and tourist alike walk from Tagbilaran to Alona, Panglao to raise awareness on keeping the oceans clean and for corporations to owned up their trash that keeps polluting our beaches. You may reach them through Facebook account for announcement on when will be their next meet up and coastal clean-up.

Another group who has been doing rounds in keeping the Province green is the Alta Citta, a volunteer group of Alay Marcela Foundation of the Alturas Group of companies also initiated a campaign called “Plant a Million Tress” which was launched last September 9, 2018 in Brgy. Tabalong, Dauis. The campaign aims to plant a million trees in Bohol, Most of the trees they planted were fruit bearing trees, mangroves and other kind of trees (except gemilina, papaya and mahogany) to address food sustainability and provision of cleaner air in the province. As of the moment, the group were able to plant 3, 255 seedlings in 4 municipalities. Thus, they are encouraging everyone local and tourist alike to help by volunteering in planting the trees. You can choose to donate seedlings to Alturas Malls or volunteer during tree planting events. They are also encouraging other municipalities to tie up with them as most of the lots they planted the trees needed to be care of afterwards. One example is how the Municiality of Ubay LGU contacted them for this initiative were in they’ve planted cacao seedlings where the LGU took care afterwards. In Calape, they planted thousands of mangroves and would like to plant more trees within the span of 5 years. The initiative is ambitious but they believe that it is possible because there are lots of boholanos who are willing to volunteer, there are LGUS who are willing to be partners and there are lots of groups who support the initiative. For more information and those who are willing to help, volunteer or partner you may call or text Mr. Junrey Villasan, mobile no. +63926837995 or Ms. Guy Bernaldez  +639178014709.

We in #WhenInBohol believes that keeping this island clean and green is more than just a mere campaign, its about going out and doing something to protect what we love. The COP24 maybe a few months still before the leaders starts to decide in how they can effectively save this planet from total annihilation through climate change. We must start the climate change discussion within our own community and help lobby for policies that will reduce the plastics and pollutants that’s been destroying this planet. Out of convenience, we have been too reliant in this stuff that slowly kills our planet, We have survived the times when plastics and fossil fuel power were not a thing. Then we will survive letting go of those few comforts. Mother earth had survived years without us on it but we cannot survive when mother earth takes its revenge on us. So we give highest salute and regards to groups like Plastic Free Bohol and Alta Citta Volunteer Groups taking a the first steps forward to preserving this Island. How about you? What can you give back to preserved Mother Earth? Be a volunteer now. 

Photos courtesy of Plastic Free Bohol, Alexis Roque and Lai Biliran