Remember Eco-Walk, the award-winning environmental awareness and value formation program for children that taught thousands of school kids and even adults the value of forests in the eco-system?
It’s back courtesy of the media group Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club, the city government and other public and private partners to take schoolchildren and other groups to their open classroom at the Busol watershed once again.
The BCBC led by president Thomas Picaña relaunched the media-led and community-driven activity via a simple program and tree-planting activity dubbed “Eco-Walk Reprised” held June 19, 2024 coinciding with the club’s 52nd anniversary.
City officials led by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, Rep. Marquez Go and the city council represented by Coun. Leandro Yangot Jr. and Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Coun. Rocky Aliping graced the program noting the timeliness and importance of reviving the acclaimed activity.
Eco-Walk is considered as the long-running indigenous culture-based children’s environmental awareness program conceptualized by members of the local media led by the late city public information officer Ramon Dacawi fellow media stalwarts Nicolas “Peppot” Ilagan, Nathan Alcantara, Eliral Refuerzo and Art Tibaldo. The founders were also honored during the relaunch.
It carried the mission to foster love of the environment among children in the city and at the same time save the Busol watershed, one of the remaining pine stands that supply potable water to parts of the city, from denudation and intrusion.
The Eco-walk experience involves hiking, tree-planting or ring-weeding of their planting sites called “muyong” after the traditional forest system of the Ifugaos, games and picnic at the forest.
It also features lectures where children learn about the importance of forests in the eco-system.
Eco-Walk was pilot-tested in 1992 and since then became the top environmental awareness program of the BCBC, the city government, the environmental group Baguio Regreening Movement and the barangay officials association named Timpuyog ti Iit under the Association of Barangay Council.
The program won for the city government the 1996 “Galing Pook” award from the Asian Institute of Management and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Its effectiveness was cited by the United Nations Environmental Programme which bestowed its 2002 Global 500 Award on the project.
The program does not only move children but adults as well judging from the high number of adult groups that participated in the program over the years.
Schools or entities wishing to undergo the Eco-Walk experience may contact the BCBC or the Public Information Office at tel no. 442-2502. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
