SU students join Zero Waste Walk

Silliman University (SU) students under the Civic Welfare Training Service program, Nursing students, and members of the SU Student Government (SUSG) Environment Committee march in the downtown area of Dumaguete City as participants of the Zero Waste Month Walk.

Silliman University (SU) students under the Civic Welfare Training Service program, College of Nursing, and members of the SU Student Government (SUSG) Environment Committee joined the Zero Waste Month Walk in Dumaguete City last January 18, 2020.

Attended by student groups, civil society, business and government organizations, and representatives from barangays Bantayan, Looc, Piapi, Banilad and Calindagan, the walk called for the adoption of a zero waste system for the city and a zero waste lifestyle for individuals as a response to the climate crisis.

“We walk because we want to tell the city of Dumaguete that it is not doing enough when it comes to zero waste. We want to tell the city of Dumaguete that they should adopt and embrace the zero waste system (for all barangays),” said Merci Ferrer, Zero Waste Cities Project-Dumaguete head and War on Waste Negros Oriental (WOW NegOr) convenor.

Ferrer said adopting the zero waste system is possible, as it has been adopted by other cities and places in the country and abroad. She also mentioned SU’s zero waste initiatives to become a plastic-free campus.

Mark Krylle Paitan, first year BS Mechanical Engineering student of SU and convenor of Zero Waste Youth Negros Oriental, encouraged the youth to be advocates for zero waste.

Mark Krylle Paitan, first year BS Mechanical Engineering student of SU and convenor of Zero Waste Youth Negros Oriental

“I don’t want to limit my imagination of what the youth can do…We are so creative, we are so diverse, that we can almost do everything. (The) impossible becomes possible,” said Paitan during the post-walk gathering at Quezon Park.

The SUSG Environment Committee as well as the SU Fine Arts Department helped organize the walk with WOW NegOr, Friends of the Environment Negros Oriental, Zero Waste Youth Negros Oriental, Zero Waste Cities Project-Dumaguete, BPI Bayan, and Lipay Mundo Co.

Student groups, civil society, business and government organizations, and representatives from barangays Bantayan, Looc, Piapi, Banilad and Calindagan gather at Quezon Park after the walk.

Placards used during the walk will be collected by the SU Fine Arts Department for an exhibit.