The municipal government of Silang, Cavite held a tree planting activity on Wednesday, Oct. 4, in celebration of the Elderly Filipino Week.
(Photo from Silang LGU)
Silang Cavite Mayor Kevin Anarna spearheaded the tree planting activity held in Barangay Carmen, together with other government officials and 64 senior citizens.
According to him, the activity does not just celebrate the Elderly Filipino Week but also a part of its efforts in preserving the environment for future generations.
The National Elderly Filipino Week is celebrated yearly during the first week of October, as mandated by Proclamation No. 470 issued by then President Fidel V. Ramos on September 26, 1994, to emphasize the contributions of the elderly to national development.
As of the latest census of 2020, the total number of senior citizens in the Philippines is 9.22 million, based on the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
Recognizing their significance, Malacañang has issued Memorandum Circular (MC) 34, a directive that underscores the importance of celebrating the Linggo ng Katandaang Filipino, or Elderly Filipino Week.
This annual celebration, set for the first week of October each year, aims to honor and support the country's senior citizens, echoing the principles enshrined in Republic Act (RA) 11350 and Proclamation 470.
Clean and green future
The local government unit (LGU) had earlier launched a river cleansing activity as part of its efforts in improving the town's waterways.
Anarna led the deployment of bokashi balls and bioremediation in some of its rivers, especially those that lead towards the Manila Bay, to help it revert to its natural condition.
A bokashi ball, also known as “mabuhay ball,” is a Japanese rehabilitation technology made up of all-organic materials, such as garden soil, molasses, and rice hull.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said bokashi balls have an effective microorganism solution that breaks down toxins and consumes bad bacteria in the water.
Each bokashi ball cleans about one-square-meter area.
Aside from bokashi balls, the local government unit (LGU) also dropped into the rivers molasses donated by EM Research and the DENR.
"Ang bioremediation naman po ay isang pamamaraan kung saan ginagamit ang mga natural na proseso at mga organismo upang linisin ang polusyon sa kapaligiran. Sa pamamagitan po ng paggamit ng bokashi balls at bioremediation, inaasahan po naming magiging matagumpay ang ating mga pagsisikap na linisin at mapanatiling malusog ang ating ilog (Bioremediation is a procedure wherein natural processes and organisms are used to remove pollution in the environment. With the use of bokashi balls and bioremediation, we are hoping that all our efforts in cleaning and ensuring the cleanliness of our rivers will surely bear fruit)," Anarna said.
He added that with the help of the two procedures, the number of fishes in the town's waterways will also increase.
Aside from the dropping of molasses and bokashi balls, the LGU also planted 500 tree seedlings in Barangay Iba, and promised that thousands of trees will be planted along the river hit by revetment.
"Pinapaalalahanan ko din po ang bawat isa na maging responsable sa pagtapon ng mga basura at kemikal. Iwasan natin ang pagtatapon ng mga polusyon sa ilog at makiisa sa mga programa ng pamahalaan para sa kalikasan (I am reminding everyone to be responsible in disposing their trash and chemicals. Let's avoid the disposal of pollutants into our rivers and be a part of the government's plan to save the environment)," Anarna stressed.
"Ang ating malinis na ilog ay hindi lamang magbibigay sa atin ng malusog na kapaligiran, kundi pati na rin ng karagdagang mga oportunidad para sa turismo at iba pang sektor ng ating lokal na ekonomiya (Our clean rivers will not just provide us with a healthy environment, they will also help create additional opportunities in the tourism sector and other sectors of our local economy)," the mayor added.