Clean Up Hinulugang Taktak:
YOUTH UNITED IN TAKING THE CHALLENGE!
Clean Up Hinulugang Taktak:
YOUTH UNITED IN TAKING THE CHALLENGE!
Like all great and profound accomplishments, the project started out with an individual’s bright idea. This time, it was brought about by an aspiration if not to revive what was and still is considered a national and natural heritage, but to at least come to the rescue of the ailing Hinulugang Taktak Waterfalls in Antipolo City.
After visiting the national park, Ms. Bebang Siy (as she prefers to be called) wrote me a letter (in an actual paper!) about her plan to gather close friends to clean up the upstream section of the poor falls. By instinct, I turned on to my org; VOTY (Voice of the Youth Network) for it is another great chance to involve the youth in such a worthwhile activity. Then, what is supposedly a small gathering to clean up loads of trash became a huge event, even global at that.
Timing is everything indeed. The event we called C.U. in H.T.: Clean Up Hinulugang Taktak would coincide with the celebrations of the 6th Global Youth Service Day (where VOTY was officially chosen as a national coordinator) and an advancer to Earth Day in April 22. Bebang secures funding from the good old and generous Antipolo lodge #334 Rizal bodies A&ASR, aside from a couple of other supporters. For the following weeks, VOTY’s radio announcements and email brigade to its online community were in full-blast. Relying on track record on gathering volunteers, these VOTY formulas never really failed to get unprecedented response.
JOINERS UNITE!
Still, creating a vibrant generation of young joiners is a usual challenge for any volunteer organization, even for VOTY. Like what we always say, among the many called, few would come and a lot lesser would even choose to stay. Somehow, people have the tendency to change their minds at the last minute, even after confirming their participation. But after experiencing much anxiety and discouraging circumstances as one of the organizers (the cause of which I would delve with later in the article), over a hundred volunteers heeded the call that one fine-weathered Saturday morning in Antipolo City. For that, the event was already a huge success. VOTY has once again served its purpose of providing the youth with an opportunity to be empowered and get involved in the community.
Students came representing their respective organizations from different universities and colleges. They came from University of the Philippines in Manila and Diliman, San Beda College, Philippine Normal University, University of Santo Tomas, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle College of St. Benilde, Lyceum, AMA University Caloocan, Technological University of the Philippines, City College of Manila, Miriam College, Technological Institute of the Philippines and Mapua Institute of Technology. Fresh grads, yuppies, volunteers from Philippine National Red Cross Youth and other NGOs also joined. Because majority of the organizations where the students came from is not environmentally inclined, this was the first time for most participants to engage in such activity.
Some of the volunteers even came from as far as Laguna just to grab the chance to visit Hinulugang Taktak National Park for the first time. Most of them don’t even recall the folk song “Tayo na sa Antipolo” where the waterfalls was acclaimed.
ROUGHING IT!
The national park shows promise with its pristine trees, affordable swimming pool and convenient cottages. Also, at first glance and from afar, Hinulugang Taktak is simply a gift of nature, being the nearest waterfall in Metro Manila. However a closer look would show years of neglect and a seemingly impossible task of reviving its dying black waters. Later in the afternoon, the bottom stream is covered with foam of laundry soapsuds.
The volunteers were tasked to pick up piles of trash in the upstream area of the falls, stretching a couple of meters in Brgy. Dela Paz. They had to rely on sticks or even plain hands to pick the most unrecognizable matter (or so you wished you hadn’t recognized the dirt at all). From diapers to muddy wrappers of grocery items, name it, they’re all over.
Enduring the sticky stench straight from the sewers, slippery surface and the summer heat for hours, it was almost being on TV’s Fear Factor or it’s local counterpart Extra Challenge. But we did it. Later in the afternoon, there is hardly any trash left to pick. That stretch was free from solid waste. If not for the gravely grimy waters, it is fair to say that the stream was almost clear.
Parallel with the clean up is a storytelling activity in the local daycare center with around twenty kids. To say the least, our nature-friendly storytellers got instant fans.
Park Superintendent Manuel Agunod said it was the first time that a clean-up drive of volunteers came to Hinulugang Taktak. Sadly, this probably would not be the last.
TOUGHER CHALLENGE AHEAD!
Picking trash must be the easiest part; maintenance is another matter. Somewhat disheartened, some volunteers experienced quite not the warm welcome we should be expecting from the locals. Some of the bystanders threw stones, even deliberately added trash while the volunteers were cleaning up. Some shouting “hindi kayo bagay d’yan” or “wala ring kwenta yan”. Fortunately still, few local youngsters joined us, saying that those “tambays” were not nearby residents.
Apparently, such mentality and the lack of discipline coming from the community could be the root cause of the problem. During the remote live broadcast of VOTY’s radio program, (aired over DZME 1530kHz) representatives of some of the organizations interviewed that noon shared these sentiments.
Sean of San Beda stresses that residents should be first asked if they support such clean up drive. Sean even takes notice of a woman washing clothes near the stream.
Julie Anne of UP Manila believes that the waterfall is a suitable venue for the youth to become aware of the reality and problems besetting the environment. At the same time, she laments the lack of support from the government “Gaya ng mga simpleng equipment na pwedeng ipagkaloob ng gobyerno o ng mga baranggay ay hindi po naibigay kaya nagta-tyaga kami sa pamumulot ng sticks,” she adds.
Oliver of UP Red Cross Youth and Christopher of UP Pugadlawin Society, agree that these projects should be continued but the best solution would still come from the community’s own discipline.
Sheryl of UP Guidon suggests, “The community must organize themselves to continue and maintain what we’ve started.”
Choy, one of the few residents who joined, advises his neighbors, “para mapanatiling malinis ang ilog natin dito, kailangan ng kaunting kooperasyon at pagkakaisa”.
JP of PNU Students Volunteers Organization hopes that the residents would be inspired by the initiative and reasons “Mahirap kung ang mga tao mismo sa lugar ang walang inisyatibo para gumawa sa sarili nila, otherwise, this would be useless.”
But it’s not useless.
According to Mr. Agunod, the waterfall is a merging point of five rivers and finally ends up in Laguna de Bay. Therefore, to bring the waterfall back to its former glory would take a massive information campaign and rehabilitation effort, especially, cooperation among the residents. The national and local government, volunteer groups and private sectors must unite, and must do it fast. Unlike most rivers especially within Metro Manila, there’s still hope to save Hinulugang Taktak.
YOUTH POWER!
After an arduous, tiring and stinky day, the event clearly created deeper impact and meaning for all the young participants. It is a testimony to how different organizations and universities could unite for a great cause and become triumphant. It is clearly youth power in action. I am overwhelmed and amazed on how passionate and hardworking these young leaders and volunteers are.
“I really enjoyed it, although very tiring, the event is very fulfilling… It’s one of the greatest experiences I’ve ever had,” says Alma of PUP.
Unfortunately, these efforts are hardly given much deserved recognition and support. The discouraging part I was saying earlier, is the fact that the government offices wherein VOTY asked for help all declined. Call it miscommunication, but I realized that even moral support from the government would require at least 15 - working day notice. The austerity measure in accordance with the Malacañang Administrative Order No. 103 also restricts support for such worthy cause.
But bureaucracy would not dissolve the youth spirit. Once again, the initiative and efforts of idealistic and driven young individuals have surpassed odds and broken new grounds in the name of volunteerism and community service. Indeed, at this very moment in history the youth remains as the hope of the country.
Thanks to individuals and organizations that provided the needs of the volunteers without hesitation. Among them are the Antipolo lodge #334 headed by Mr. Romy Ignacio, Dave Mariano of UP consumers cooperative, Mr. Art Danny Datu of VJ Graphics, Ms. Anna Liza Laxamana of Next Step Events Planner, Mr. Art Gruenberg of Good Life Now Corporation, Director Theresa Lim of PAW Bureau, Fred de Claro, Artemio Padragoza, Mr. Manuel Agunod of HTNP and residents of Baranggay Dela Paz.
About the author: Mr. Emsie Reyes, is a writer and broadcaster of DZME 1530kHz. Host of Voice of the Youth Network Advocacy AM Radio Program, airing Saturdays 12nn. www.voty.org
posted by VOTY NETWORK @ 7:27 PM
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