Implementation and benefits of environmental practice
With the continual rise in environmental awareness all over the world, also arrives the wave of safe environmental practices. As more and more people become knowledgeable regarding climate change and various environmental issues, more groups or organizations are also created to fulfill the goal of having a sustainable future. Acknowledging the fact that there is a problem is the first step in accomplishing this goal. After all, necessity is the mother of invention. Searching for solutions for environmental issues should be in every country’s priority list.
In the Philippines, Siargao is an island located in Surigao del Norte. Siargao’s tourism industry essentially developed throughout the years, which led to a lot of tourists to choose Siargao as their next vacation spot. This kind of development sounds like a great one, considering how more tourists help local communities to generate more income. However, it is a fact that where there are tourists, there is trash. One common problem in places like Siargao is solid waste management. An example would be Boracay, another tourist destination in the Philippines, which had to close down for a few months because of residents and businesses directly draining their wastewater into the sea. In order to preserve the beauty of the island, Siargao Environmental Awareness (SEA) Movement was established in order to initiate the unity of various stakeholders in the island by executing projects that aims to make Siargao the country’s leader in sustainable tourism. SEA Movement conducts workshops that aims to help the local community learn how to do things that involves sustainably using materials around them as well as segregation and recycling. Since the youth is considered the future, SEA Movement also conducts leadership training for youth and community leaders in order to encourage them to participate and contribute towards Siargao’s cleanliness and future.
One of the SEA Movement’s greatest accomplishments is that their contribution towards a zero-waste mindset has helped the government see the need to pass a local ordinance banning the use of single-use plastics. Before the ordinance was passed in 2018, a 2017 report by the Siargao Tourism Operators Association (STOA) indicated that Siargao’s greatest challenge was one involving solid waste management and disposal. The passing of the ordinance actually paved the way for businesses to come up with sustainable alternatives than plastic. An example would be fish vendors using a strip of rattan instead of plastic bags. In order to contribute to Siargao’s sustainability goal, Siargao Electric Cooperative (Siarelco) also came up with a solution to meeting the increasing demand for power by using renewable energy. Siargao is now considered to be mostly powered by renewable and clean energy. Siargao’s road to a sustainable future is achievable because everyone in the community tries and does their best to be involved. As more environmental programs take place, more people become aware and it is a domino effect from there. Everyone’s effort is counted because every little thing people do matters and it only takes one spark to light another.
Environmental Changes 