SOUTH COTABATO, 18 December– Elementary and High School institutions from T’boli, South Cotabato and Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte joined BAN Toxics in planning for activities to make their schools toxics-free for the academic year 2019 during the Toxics-Free Schools Program (TFSP) Culminating Activity on December 17-18, 2018.
“We invited students from T’boli and Jose Panganiban to share with them our advocacy in working for a toxics-free world. BAN Toxics believes that it is never too early to capacitate children to care for the environment. Fundamental to this is teaching them basic principles of sound chemicals management,” Ms. Krisha Ferrer, Policy Research Associate of BAN Toxics said.
Ms. Krisha Ferrer explains sound chemicals management concepts to the participants. She emphasized the importance of awareness of these concepts in protecting the community against toxic chemicals.
Through the TFSP, BAN Toxics partners with schools and academic institutions in spreading awareness on how toxics affect human health and the environment. A major part of the program familiarizes students on the Fearsome Five—or toxic chemicals composed of mercury, lead, cadmium, asbestos, and arsenic—which may be present at homes and schools.
In August, BAN Toxics partnered with T’boli National High School to conduct teacher’s training and students’ capacity building. For the Culminating Activity, the school hosted an exhibit showcasing their activities and accomplishments related to sound chemicals management and protecting the environment. The exhibit served as a knowledge sharing activity for other participating schools from T’boli and Jose Panganiban to implement TFSP principles in their respective schools.
Students from T’boli National High School show the participants some of their recycled crafts during the exhibit cum knowledge sharing event.
Other participating schools aside from TNHS are Edwards National High School, Malaya National High School, and Banga Elementary School from T’boli. Students and faculty from Jose Panganiban National High School, who recently underwent TFSP orientation also participated in the event.
The second part of the Culminating Activity involved the planning for TFSP implementation in their schools. Ms. Ferrer guided the students and teachers in the process by presenting basic principles of sound chemicals management– specifically, how can students and teachers implement a school-based program that focuses on health, environment, and human rights impacts of chemicals and wastes. The participants then presented their planned TFSP-related activities to the panel.
“We would like to thank all the participants from T’boli and Jose Panganiban for joining us in our advocacy to spread awareness on the importance of integrating sound chemicals management in school activities. We hope that through this activity, the students will be more proactive in taking care of the environment,” said Ms. Ferrer.