A new breed of Paulinian advocates for the environment
MANILA, Philippines - Activism doesn’t always wear an angry face. At least not at St. Paul University in Quezon City (SPUQC) where student government president Cris Raymund Viray and his fellow officers have been actively advocating for greater environmental awareness.
Last year, Viray headed workshops for some 2,000 children in Pangasinan, Angono, and Mandaluyong as well as the grade school and high school departments of St. Paul’s Quezon City. (Yes, they now accept males in this former colegiala enclave.) His team’s goal was to make participants more aware of what they could do for the environment.
Through fictional character Tara B, a figment of Viray’s creative writing skills, the youngsters learned why segregating trash and recycling help the environment. The storytelling, assisted by St. Paul faculty member Renato Vibieska, Palanca awardee for literature, was complemented by activities that helped participants pick out recyclable materials from non-recylable ones among other trash.
“More important, the workshops awakened a sense of volunteerism and environmental stewardship in the children. We wanted them to leave the workshops feeling they could make a difference wherever they were and a number of them felt just that,” said Viray.
Viray and other leaders of the Paulinian student government also launched shows in the school, highlighting student talents and events that emphasized the need to be peaceful warriors for Mother Earth. Not content to leave their imprint only on Paulinians, they also invited students from the University of Santo Tomas, University of Asia and the Pacific, and other schools to be part of the project.
