Save the Rivers, Save the Sea

Conceptualized last summer by myself and my counterpart Dr. Nieves (Dean of Bicol University Tabaco Campus), the Save the Rivers, Save the Sea Program is now in full swing. Former challenges at site (counterpart struggles, election changes, bureaucratic red tape) swayed me to "take my talents to"....Bicol University Tabaco Campus (BUTC), where the program was born. And after months of proposal writing, project approval, budget approval, etc., we were finally cleared for takeoff this past January.

A three-year pilot program of BUTC, Save the Rivers, Save the Sea seeks to address river and habitat sustainability through participatory methods. The first year focuses on the Bombon River, one of the 6 major rivers in Tabaco City which stretches through barangays Tayhi, Pawa, and Bombon. Local youth are our target audience because they hold the cards for our future and we believe it is through them that we will see change and sustainability in local waterways. Aside from myself and 6 BUTC faculty acting as program coordinators, we have assembled a Core Team of committed BUTC students to assist and serve as community leaders/facilitators. Our goal is for the Core Team to take ownership of the program through community organizing, conducting needs assessments, assisting with water quality testing, conducting IEC campaigns, etc.

Last week, we held our first Core Team Orientation Workshop where we gave our team of students briefings on topics such as CRM, Solid Waste Management, Community Health, and Community Organizing. They will be using the information gained to create their own presentations for our future barangay IEC campaigns. The students also participated in a river walk, where we briefly surveyed the Bombon River and its neighboring activities. The workshop brought together local stakeholders and allowed us to further organize our Core Team and plan out future activities. Up next...barangay courtesy calls (April 5) and our official program launching (April 11).

 Participants observing a lecture on CRM during our Core Team Orientation Workshop

BUTC students and faculty during our Bombon River walk

I have been extremely excited about this program for a while (on top of it being one of my larger PC projects, it will also be the focus of my Master's internship; killing two birds with one stone!) so to see it coming together is incredibly rewarding. Staying grounded is key though, particularly due to the constant changes in our program structure. With every project here, sustainability is on my mind. Will this last after I'm gone? So far, there has been a lot of enthusiasm and support from both BUTC and the LGU for Save the Rivers, Save the Sea, and my fellow counterparts seem dedicated to continue the program after I leave. Knowing this eases my mind a bit. But that doesn't allow me to "sit the next few plays out." Instead, it motivates me to continue to help put the pieces in place and give them the tools for lasting success. I have high hopes for this program. Stay tuned.

For more information and project updates, please check out and "like" our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/savetheriverssavethesea.