All Aboard WWF's Environmental Education with Janine Gutierrez

May 2017

Actress and model Janine Gutierrez, who recently signed on as a WWF-Philippines National Youth Ambassador, visited schoolchildren in Donsol as part of our Environmental Education (EE) Program. She was joined by half of the National Youth Council (NYC) members Alexa Cancio, Deign Soriano, Allen Lemence, and Yza Nazal. Over 150 children from five local barangays attended the session at the Donsol Covered Court in Peralta Park last 12 May 2017.

The EE session was a fun and interactive learning activity dedicated to teaching the children about relevant species such as the world famous butanding (whale shark), pawikan (sea turtle), fireflies, and mangroves. It also served as a venue to inculcate on them the importance of responsible waste management as the Philippines is the third highest contributor of marine plastic pollution in the world. The children were especially happy when, as a reward for attending the event and to serve as a reminder to care for the environment, Janine as well as the NYC members gave away a stuffed toy to each of them present that afternoon.

In the same trip, the four NYC members along with the local WWF staff led a coastal clean-up which 40 Donsol Youth Environmental Education Program (DYEEP) participants readily volunteered for. DYEEP is an ongoing youth camp for locals aged 10-16. The Program is funded by our partner Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. and is headed and implemented by WWF staff.