Feature
by Ms. Gayle Y. Pamintuan
In response to the call of Pope Francis in Laudato Si’, Assumpta launched Ecology Month in the first week of September 2023. In a world rassling with pressing environmental changes, the significance of dedicating a month to our ecology must not be overlooked. This year, the theme for Ecology Month is “In synodality, Assumpta responds to Mother Earth’s realities today.” This also serves as a timely reminder of the importance of protecting our planet for the sake of future generations. Hence, this month-long celebration is an eye-opener to all of us, as it urges all Assumpta learners, employees, and even the greater community to come together in a collective and loving effort to safeguard and conserve our environment.
This year’s Ecology Month celebration provides a platform to educate the Assumptans about the cry of the Earth and even the interdependence of all living creatures within it. Spearheaded by the Science Department, learners were encouraged to be more aware of the current plight of our planet’s ecosystem by listening to songs that are related to our environment and watching movies and documentaries inside the classrooms and during their asynchronous classes. These activities aimed to enrich their minds and knowledge of the current situation of the planet. Raising awareness is the primary goal that Ecology Month wants to instill among us because, by increasing awareness, every member of the school community is empowered to become advocates of societal and environmental change.
The Ecology Month celebration also aims to promote living a “sapat lifestyle” among all Assumptans. Throughout the Ecology Month activities, everyone in the community was requested to take steps to minimize one’s environmental footprint. Hence, sustainable practices in everyday life were expected from each one. One of the best features of the Ecology Month celebration was the ATHS Growing Response to Ecological and Environmental Needs or the ATHS GREENS. In this activity, different tasks were suggested to the learners and employees to make them act and respond in their own simple ways. In a world filled with complex problems and daunting challenges, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and wonder if individual actions can truly make a difference. The truth is they can. One simple action, taken by one person, has the potential to ignite a chain reaction that can change the world in profound ways.
Truly, in this year’s Ecology Month celebration, we are called to work together on behalf of all creations. Different activities were presented to the learners and employees that are of help in protecting and conserving our environment – Let the Mighty River Flow, Meditate with Nature, Echo the Song of Your Heart, eArTHS hour, eArTHS walk, disTREEBute (a community plantry), Banta ng Nagbabagong Klima, bulletin board making, AEP digital logo making contest, and Ecommercial Podcast competition. Learners and employees were all active in participating in the activities mentioned.
In conclusion, taking care of our own environment is important for a lot of reasons. It has wide-ranging impacts on human life, health, well-being, and the carrying capacity of our planet. Hence, taking care of the environment is not only a matter of personal choice but an imperative for the preservation of Mother Earth’s ecosystems. Sustainable environmental practices are deemed necessary to have a healthy and harmonious future for the current and future generations.
