EcoCongress is the 'beginning of advocacy'

Photo by Mark Louie Balladares

“It’s the end of the congress itself, but this symbolizes the beginning of the advocacy.”

These are the words of Biology student Cherisse Julydlawan, chairperson of the 1st Ateneo Eco Congress, which had set the atmosphere of Finster Auditorium with sense of success and new challenges, as participants and organizers culminated the said event Saturday evening.

The said event, which was spearheaded by the Pinag-isang Lakas ng mga Progresibong Atenista (PIGLASAPAT), produced resolutions concerning environmental issues.

Related article: EcoCongress committees pass 9 resolutions

With the partnership of PIGLASAPAT and the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU) administration, external organizations like USAID, National Youth Commission (NYC), Climate Change Commission (CCC) and UCEAC also made the event more possible.

After days of online and formal discussions starting Sept. 2 to 5, the participants gathered to their socials night as culmination of the event and recognition of their labor and efforts.

From the first to the last day of the said activity, the congress summarized their experiences through testimonies, the awarding, and photo ops.

Being the pioneering congress in the university in passing environmental resolutions, Adlawan had also foreseen the huge possibility of the advocacy to grow and thrive, but still urging the AdDU community to take steps in expressing care and love towards nature.

While mentioning #TakeTheChallenge, Adlawan challenged everyone to be part in any pro-environmental action.

Meanwhile, Jeos Earl Casilac, the president of PIGLASAPAT, expressed his hopes and outlooks to the participants of the event and to the Ateneo community as a whole.

“I hope na this will be the start na mag-participate ang mga students, not only as officers from any club or as officers from SAMAHAN, but as students mismo. This is the start of something new na mag-engage tayo lalong lalo na sa ating tinatawag na environmental care and protection. I hope na in the coming days, and in the coming years, mapagpapatuloy pa rin natin ito,” Casilac stressed.

The socials night also gave opportunities to some participants to share their experience and feelings towards the event.

Tompson Alonzo from the environment and business committee was one of the participants who gave testimony to attendees.

“After everything, again, simply say that love wins. I see that it is really a promising and reassuring event. Here, we are gathered with a single common denominator—our love for nature and our love for the next generations. I hope that through this congress, we can still promote that love and share it to the generations to come. [You] shouldn’t just love yourself, but you should also love your future self and your future country,” Alonzo expressed.

After the awarding of certificates and photo ops, both participants and organizers of the event danced on their flash mob with a song “Kabataang Pinoy” as an expression of their determination and goals that youths, along with the help of the society, can help the environment.