DENR Starts Empty Bottle-Donation Drive to Prepare for Dry Spell

San Fernando City (PIA) – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources needs at least 20,000 empty plastic bottles for its greening program to help mitigate the effects of the long dry spell which is expected to occur during the last quarter this year.

Samuel Songcuan, provincial environment and natural resources officer, said the plastic bottles would be recycled and used in growing seedlings which are currently planted in various national greening program sites in San Fernando City.

“A single water bottle could provide sustenance to one seedling for a month,” Songcuan said noting that the water drop would be regulated for each seedling.

He said the DENR will need a huge number of water bottles during last quarter of the year when the “El Niño” phenomenon is expected to affect northern Luzon.

Songcuan raised the appeal for bottle donation during the campus tour on climate change advocacy campaign of the DENR in partnership with the Philippine Information Agency.

The school forum was held separately at the Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University and the Saint Louis College on October 11. More than 1,000 students enrolled in the National Service Training Program or NSTP gathered in the separate venues.

Part of the forum was engaging the youth to join the climate change advocacy through the youth volunteer arm Pilipinas Natin under the Presidential Communications Operations Office.

Jeff Segumalian, PN coordinator for Region 1, has been going around various schools in the Ilocos to rally the youth to become more involved in protecting the environment.

The youth group will also select at least 50 students who will be given leadership skills during the Kalikasan camp which will be held next month. (MCA/MPA-PIA1 La Union)