PALOMPON, Leyte — The local government unit here revived its “Education for a Cause” campaign, teaching children on protecting the town’s fragile environment.
The initiative, which was stopped after the 2013 super typhoon, has resumed this academic school year with classes held every weekend.
“At their young age, these children need to know to protect and take care of the environment. We also expect them to share this knowledge to their family members,” Raoul Bacalla, head of Palompon municipal environment and natural resources office, said in an interview Saturday.
Launched in 2010, the program was revived after the rehabilitation of Tabuk Marine Sanctuary, one of the sites used as venue of this education drive.
The Tabuk Marine Park and Bird Sanctuary is a 72-hectare island with mangroves. It was declared as a marine park and fish and bird sanctuary in 1996.
The marine park is also a haven for giant fruit bats, giant golden-crowned flying fox — a rare fruit bat considered as the largest known bat in the world. The species is endangered and is currently facing the possibility of extinction due to poachers and food hunters.
These classes also teach children on disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM), focusing on imparting survival skills.
The DRRM lesson for secondary learners has 21 modules that include fear management, stress management, day and night rescue, crisis management. It ends with a rescue Olympics every summer while lesson for elementary pupils has eight modules concentrated on conditioning, solid waste, appreciation of folklore, appreciation of watershed through hiking, and safety and first aid.
“We are now having a shortage of lecturers because of the population of students has increased,” Bacalla added.
To address the issue, the local government will tie up with the local youth council and the Palompon Tour Guides Association, whom they will train to become lecturers. (Roel Amazona/PNA)
