Watershed education and awareness of the Upper Marikina Watershed will be integrated into the lesson plans of elementary and high school students of Rizal Province.
This, after the Masungi Georeserve Foundation and the Department of Education Schools Division Superintendent’s Office-Rizal have signed a memorandum of agreement that will not only educate local students on watershed education but also to give opportunity for the science teachers to share the best practices in the protection of watersheds.
A watershed is an area of land where water from rainfall drains downhill into rivers, streams, creeks, lakes, and ultimately into the ocean. The Upper Marikina Watershed regulates water flow and reduces the risk of floods and landslides in Rizal Province and cities like Marikina and Pasig.
In a statement, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation said the agreement is backed by Canada Fund for Local Initiatives and is also founded on Republic Act 9512 or the Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008 which requires the integration of environmental awareness in the curriculum at all levels.
The Environmental Education Action Plan 2018-2040 also states that conducting teachers workshops is highly crucial in the development of young minds for environment advocacy.
“We realize that we could not save the watershed alone; we need to empower more citizens, including the youth, to take cognizance and care of the watershed against destructive activities,” said Billie Dumaliang, a trustee of Masungi Georeserve Foundation.
Teacher trainings across two Rizal towns and two cities from the National Capital Region, Pasig and Marikina, will happen over four weekends in November 2022.
A highlight of the training is the distribution of the Lakbay-Daloy board game—a fun, action-packed game illustrating the positive and negative actions that affect our waterways—a nature-based version of Snakes and Ladders.
Apart from receiving training and teaching kits, the teachers will also get the chance to immerse in the Masungi Georeserve to complete their training.
“With experts and advocates like you (Masungi Georeserve), we are able to hold hands together and come up with these kinds of activities and materials for our teachers to be able to really educate our children para matanim sa puso nila kung ano ang responsibilidad nila sa Inang Kalikasan (so that the responsibility for Mother Earth will be implanted in their hearts),” said DepEd Rizal School Division Superintendent Dr. Susan Orbiana.
On Nov. 4, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. also presented the program to Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto, who was one of the mayors who joined the calls for the cancellation of quarrying agreements within the Upper Marikina Watershed earlier this year.