Students, together with artist and environmentalist AG Saño, paint the mural outside the Ecoteneo Office.

 

By Aivy Rose Villarba

The Office of Ecoteneo, the advocacy group for environmental protection and conservation of Ateneo de Davao University, formally opened last October 4 at the 5th floor Martin Hall.

The event started with a Holy Mass at noon presided by Fr. Ramon Prudencio S. Toledo, S.J., followed by the blessing of the new office by Fr. Carlos G. Cenzon, Jr., S.J.

A short program followed after the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Rodne Galicha, Ecoteneo Jacinto director introduced the Ecoteneo Roadmap, which was based on the recommendations of the Ecoteneo Advisory Board in 2014.

“Every roadmap push management team will meet and act on targets identified,” he said.

Galicha also said that the office will always be open for students as he wants it to be student centered.

Moreover, General Assistant to the President Jeremy Eliab shared, “We hope that our Ecoteneo efforts in this campus will be at par with what is happening in the Matina campus.”

“Matina campus has been awarded by the ASEAN and in the national level because of their management in terms of waste segregation and recycling,” Eliab said.

Eliab added that since the Jacinto campus is larger in terms of population, it will be a also challenge to build up awareness.

“We hope to make our campus green and sustainable,” Eliab said.

SAMAHAN President John Chin also expressed his excitement towards working with Ecoteneo.

“We are really looking forward with our partnership with our Ecoteneo office,” Chin said.

AG Saño, an environmental artist was also invited to lead an open mural painting on a wall beside the new office. Students and members from ArtCo participated in the mural painting.

“We are painting murals about the environment and campaigning for climate justice,” Saño shared.

Together with Albert Lozada from Greenpeace, they walked along the path that St. Francis walked when he was still alive.

“We traced some of his his journey in the forests of Assisi and we were inspired to illustrate that in the paintings to be shown in the office of the Ecoteneo,” Saño said.

After the program, students, administrators and guests enjoyed the lunch which served organic food.

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