Negrense receives award for environment conservation
By Jennifer C. Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, April 5 (PIA) -- An environmentalist Negrense received a cash prize of P440,000 to build a dream of endemic tree nursery in Central Visayas.
Rene “Tatay Ete” Vendiola of Bacong, Negros Oriental has been rewarded for his effort in biodiversity conservation and forestation with the Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual during the 5th Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Triennial Awards in March this year at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.
Vendiola is a high school dropout and former kaingin farmer from Bacong but managed to set up a Liptong Woodland that preserves local fauna and species of plants and native trees.
Vendiola was also proud to accept a trophy being the least with educational attainment among the awardees for preserving the environment. It is his passion and love for nature that earned him the judges' respect.
For Vendiola, he was not competing with the other four finalists—two priests, a peace promoter in Mindanao, and a former Boy Scout master.
“Ang RAFI nangita og tukog sa lukay nga hugpungon aron mahimong silhig. Gihimo mi sa RAFI og silhig. Sa among pagkasilhig, kami ang mogamit sa among nahibaw-an aron makatabang sa atong komunidad (RAFI is looking for ribs out of coconut leaves so that when grouped together, they form a broom. We the finalists are formed by RAFI into a ‘broom’ so that together, we can use our knowledge and help our community),” he said.
Vendiola shared over Pagtuki radio program last week that when he was declared awardee of the RAFI Triennial Awards for the individual category, he felt like crying because it was his first time to get an award.
On the other hand, the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF) bagged the recognition as the Eduardo Aboitiz Awardee for Outstanding Institution for its efforts to uplift the lives of many women.
NWTF, an organization that provides capital to poor women to start in small-scale business, has been providing livelihood opportunities through its program called “Project Dungganon” (dungganon is Hilagaynon for honorable).
Its executive director, Cecilia del Castillo, was sent to India to learn the Grameen Credit system, on which the program is based.
“We did not publicize our work. We just did our jobs. The people we helped are those who have little opportunities in life. They are the ones who really need our help,” said Manuel Margate, NWTF client service department manager.
He said NWTF will use the P440T cash prize to expand and improve Project Dungganon so that the organization can uplift the lives of more poor people.
The RAFI Triennial Awards was launched in Dec. 6, 1996 during the 39th anniversary of the foundation to commemorate the philanthropic, humanitarian, and holistic ideals of RAFI founders Don Ramon Aboitiz and his son Don Eduardo Aboitiz.
The awards program is now on its 15th year this year, which is also RAFI's 45th year.
It is one of the awards capabilities of RAFI, recognizing individuals and institutions that go the extra mile in bringing about positive change and in uplifting the quality of life of communities. (MCBN/JCT-PIA7 Negros Oriental)