VISIT TO THE COMMUNITY

    

      During our first meeting, we were told about service learning and I was really looking forward to doing a project for a community. Our group was assigned to Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasig. It is a well known project that ABS CBN foundation started. It aims to make rehabilitate the waterways of Metro Manila through different projects. One of the projects that they have started was Estero de Paco and an additional project was redeveloping the Paco Market.

       Today, our group visited the site and I was really impressed because Estero de Paco was cleaner compared to the other esteros we've seen in other parts of Metro Manila. Estero de Paco has really improved from the past years as seen in the tarpaulins that showed the before photo wherein there were illegal settlers and trash.  Along the estero, there are already plants that help absorb the wastes and there are also walkways that were placed as part of the project. There are also volunteers who are known as river warriors that help protect the estero and they make sure that the people are aware about the policies in keeping the estero clean. We went around the stretch of Estero de Paco to observe and think of the possible projects we could do.

      In the Paco Market, the groups gathered and planned the projects to be proposed. Some suggested projects was a new design for coloring books, flyers and other visual aids; additional signages and tarpaulins. Our group  thought of different proposals such as signages, tree planting, labeled waste bins, etc. but we decided to go beyond this and proposed a to give additional funds to the river warriors which are the volunteers of Estero de Paco. The river warriors are already starting their catering business for additional income and our group would like to contribute in the expansion of this business or give a starting capital in putting up an additional business. Our group would be selling tshirts to raise funds. We would also be giving the river warrior officers the tshirts that we would design so that they could have uniforms.

       Someday I would also want to start a project that would make a big impact to help the environment. I really look up to Ms. Gina Lopez because she gave an initiative and did action to rehabilitate the waterways in Metro Manila. What Ms. Lopez did was really beneficial because it gave an opportunity for the people to enjoy a cleaner place, most of them were also given better homes and lives. Lastly, the rehabilitation of the esteros and the river was good for the environment. The waterways improved and hopefully in the future we could restore the waterways to its original condition wherein there would be fishes in these rivers.