BONTOC, Mtn. Province – Conserving the environment and cleanliness is the main objective of this activity!
That was the statement categorically voiced out by John Tay-og Pelew, the convenor and main sponsor of the yearly activity every December of the year.
The Radyo Natin and Lang-ay Organization, in partnership with the provincial government through the Provincial Tourism Office (PTourO), the Provincial Information Office (PIO), and the MP Environment and Natural Resources Office (MPENRO), are sponsoring the conduct of “SAVE THE CHICO RIVER RAFFLE DRAW”, an activity that involves the collection of plastic bottles from around the province and region, even worldwide, to be raffled and drawn on December 20, 2025.
In the tarpaulins and flyers announcing the activity, it was emphasized that the raffle draw is free for all to participate. To join the raffle, the participants should write on a piece of paper their complete name, address, contact number, and signature, then place it in a clean and dry plastic bottle, bring the entries at the provincial plaza before 1 pm of December 20, 2025. It was learned that the draw be done starting at I pm of the date
John Tay-og Pelew, the Radyo Natin station manager and one of the convenors, said on many occasions that the more entries you have, the chance to win the different prizes of 1 brand new motorcycle, 2 brand new TV, 1 brand new mountain bicycle, android and keypad cellphones, 10 consolation cash prizes of P100 each, and many more prizes.
Every participant is required to submit plastic bottles of various sizes of soft drinks and water bottles with a piece of paper in each bottle written with name, address, telephone number or cell phone number, and signature.
He said that people from the other provinces of the Cordillera may participate in the activity or they can extend their support by contacting their relatives and friends to participate.
Participants from schools and communities have, in the past, brought sacks and truckloads of entries to the provincial plaza on the said date.
“We participate in the proper disposal of waste through the reduce, reuse, and recycle principle”. He commented in one of his radio programs ascribing to the environmental advocacy.
As to why it is billed as Save the Chico River, Pelew said that the ecological advocacy redounds to preserving the Chico River where all waste from the various communities of the province cascades.
MEANWHILE, representatives from Radyo Natin, PIO, PTourO, DENR-PENRO and the MPENRO, called for the soft drink and pesticide companies to have the moral obligation to exercise corporate responsibilities to collect the plastic bottles they bring to the market that turns out to be wastes.
Pesticide companies are also asked to collect the bottles that are found around farms and homes. These accordingly pose threats to environmental hazards that affect as pollutants to even water sources.
Other offices and agencies invited to the meeting on October 02, 2025 were the All Sants Credit Cooperative, the Mountain Province State University, and the Sangguniang Kabataan Organizations in the four central barangays of Bontoc.**Roger Sacyaten
