ROXAS CITY, Capiz (PIA) –- The Capiz Environment and Natural Resources Office (CAPENRO) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) together with the Kabuganaan Philippines Ministries-Capiz, a non-government organization under the Convention of the Philippine Baptist Churches combined efforts in a move to restore community forest and local nurseries in the province.
The NGO takes on the challenge of helping the national government address the climate crisis by restoring community forests and establishing local nurseries with seedlings and assistance from the DA and the CAPENRO, aside from those coming from their members.
Capiz Baptist Churches Executive Minister Pastor Job Santiago expressed that climate change in the province is very evident, especially in the past months due to the El Niño phenomenon.
He acknowledged that it is important for the government and private sectors to work together since all are part of the environment.
“The government and other sectors need to work together because usually the government creates and executes various legislations, but since the church and other private sectors are also part of the environment, it is our social responsibility. The environment is everyone’s problem, not only the government,” Santiago added in Hiligaynon.
The Pastor also shared that through the Pag-atipan sa Tinuga Church Action to Restore Earth (PATI CARE), they have established three community nurseries in the province- in Brgy. East Villaflores in Maayon town, Brgy. San Antonio in Cuartero town, and Brgy. Duran in Dumarao town.
He also stated that all three nurseries will serve as demo farms for their communal reforestation project as it is their humble contribution to caring for Mother Earth.
“In our community nursery, especially in Maayon town, we encourage our church members to do seed banking of fruit trees and native trees and deposit it to the nurseries,” Santiago said and shared that they also encourage their youth members to participate in the tree planting activities.
According to Santiago, besides the seedlings for our community nurseries, they have received cacao and coffee seedlings from DA, and because of that, we have established the Hopevale Coffee Association, a native coffee production in Tapaz town.
CAPENRO information officer Wilmon Alinsangan said that the Capiz provincial government thru CAPENRO highly appreciates the crucial role that community involvement plays in efficient environmental management with the mission to empower and build responsive communities to create a resilient and ecologically sustainable province.
“The PATI-CARE PROJECT is an example of this kind of collaboration. This project is a great example of how working together, government and religious organizations, may solve environmental issues and further our common goal of sustainability and resiliency,” Alinsangan said.
Alinsangan noted that the local government can take advantage of the community’s assets and strengths to carry out significant and long-lasting environmental solutions.
“By working together, we can make Capiz healthier, greener, and more resilient for both the present and upcoming generations,” Alinsangan added. (EAD-PLF/PIA Capiz)
