San Jose West Central School had an eventful Earth Day celebration last April 28, 2023, with the theme "Invest in our Planet." Learners and teachers gathered at the school grounds to participate in the School Clean-up Drive and Waste Audit.
The activity aimed to engage learners and personnel in the promotion of a cleaner, safer, and greener environment specifically in the school. It also aimed to rally more learners and personnel to be engaged in environmental actions and broaden awareness and knowledge on various sustainable practices in environmental protection. Moreover, the activity aimed to strengthen the "Maka-Kalikasan" core values and encourage active participation of participants in all activities regardless of sex and gender, age, civil status, physical characteristics, religion, and other attributes.
The day began with a short program, in which the advisers emphasized the importance of investing in our planet. Learners were then divided into groups and assigned designated areas in the school to clean. 5-Delos Santos learners gathered garbage and other waste materials and segregated them according to their types. They brought their cleaning materials to minimize waste.
After the School Clean-up Drive, a Waste Audit was conducted to determine the types of waste generated and identify opportunities for waste reduction and recycling. They worked together to assess the waste, and they discovered that most of the waste generated was plastics. This realization urged the participants to think critically about their plastic use and ways they could reduce it.
Sir Joel Pontela, the school principal, thanked everyone for their participation and encouraged them to continue their environmental efforts beyond the event. The Earth Day celebration at San Jose West Central School successfully engaged learners and personnel in environmental actions, broadened awareness and knowledge of sustainable practices, and strengthened the "Maka-Kalikasan" core values. With the success of this event, it is evident that investing in our planet is a worthy cause that everyone should take part in.
