Wonderful partnership for 2025 Cebu celebration of WED

The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are urgently promoted to have a better world for all, by 2030s, with no one left behind.

Without “partnerships for the goals”, the 17th SDG, the other 16 SDGS needed to actualize a world marked by peace and prosperity for people and planet cannot be realized.

The successful celebration of the June 5, 2025 World Environment Day (WED) at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu City showcased the commitment, initiatives, and most especially, the primacy of partnership for the sustained protection of the environment, of our people, and, our earth.

The Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) Cebu Central Chapter coordinated by Ms. Kathyleen Miranda Bacalla took charge of the choir, the mass. Their team wore black shirts with the 2025 Cebu WED Celebration design printed at the back.

The various displays of our partners who are protecting various eco-systems --(farm/agriculture, forests/mountains, oceans/waters, urban)-- were amazing/inspiring, highly-informative/educational!

To think that they only had very limited time to prepare, complete their displays!

What more if the multisectoral partners were given ample time and resources?

Mayor-Elect Nestor Archival, who fulfilled his promise to join the morning display viewing and the dialogue with the June 5 Cebu Multisectoral network partners, remarked: "This is my tribe. Kauban ta nga tribu. I'm very amazed. There are so many initiatives - from soil to food, then to climate change and everything... We are...in the same direction --protection of the environment, and of course, protection of life. Because the environment is all about life. Without the environment, we would not be here.”

And this assurance from him awaited by his ka-tribu: "We will have probably a one-day or half-day workshop, so that...we can already determine what steps we are going to do. And we also put timelines...for us to realize that we are actually proceeding toward what we want."

The day after the June 5 WED celebration, this added assurance from a partner: “he mentioned during his visit to our booth (SLOW FOOD COMMUNITY OF SUGBO) and repeated at the dialogue that he will give us (CSOs) an office in the City Hall.”

Mayor-elect Archival also shared: "It’s very close to my heart --kanang planting of trees.

"You know, nakadaog ko with 256,000 plus votes. So what I plan is to plant 250,000 trees from now until the end sa term nako, in three years. And this is to give honor to those who voted for me.

“Ang pagpananom og kahoy labing sayo karong Agusto, sa August ting-uwan na. Not a good time ng sa kwaresma kay wala may tubig. Mao nga kung himuon sa ting-init, kadaghanan mangamatay gyud (ang mga tanom).

“Karong August, September, October, ug November ting-uwan na."

He also discussed that when he assumes office in July, there may be a possible budget deficit but he said this will have to be studied carefully and verified.

He also discussed about the Waste to Energy (WTE) project and the huge ?600-million annual budget allotted for Cebu City waste that he hopes can be diverted to other productive purposes through an alternative, more effective/less-costly waste management system, with the participation of barangays and other stakeholders.

The June 5 WED celebration was capped by a meditative interfaith prayer introduction, then a very beautiful cultural segment with the Barangay Luz Women Dance Troupe, Song/Interpretative Dance from USJ-R SCAP, Song Rendition by Miyumi Rosal from Lapu-Lapu Cebu International College, and, “Kilag”- dance number by the Kota Hiusa/Cebu City Indigenous Cultural Communities.

For the closing ceremony, participants/guests posed for a commemorative photo and joyfully chanted, as bubbles were blown, colorful pompoms waved;

“Happy World Environment Day, from Cebu City!”

This June 5 Cebu celebration has been included in the UNEP WED2025 global map of events (https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/2025-updates).