Disadvantaged young people for a vulnerable environment.
Founded on this idea, the Ecology, Conservation and Service Learning (ECONSERVE) turns the disadvantaged youth in Oriental Mindoro to environmental leaders. Their task is to preserve Naujan Lake’s ecology and biodiversity.
Covering an area of 8,125 hectares, Lake Naujan is bounded by four municipalities Naujan, Pola, Socorro, and Victoria. The lake provides livelihoods to many families. It is also, though, one of the most vulnerable freshwater resources in the country.
As assessed by the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) and Ramsar Convention (RAMSAR), Naujan Lake’s biodiversity is threatened by growing population, pollution, overexploitation, poor resource management, among other problems. These problems could have been worse if the proposed mining operation in the area had not been thwarted.
Drawing from the concept of participatory development, ECONSERVE addresses the lack of hopeful economic prospects among the growing ranks of underprivileged youth as they are transformed to environmental protectors.
To preserve Naujan Lake’s ecology and biodiversity, better natural resources management practices, increased reforestation, and a well-educated community along the Naujan Lake’s vicinity, are vital. It is for these tasks that the underprivileged youth along Naujan Lake are to be trained.
Once trained under the curriculum ECONSERVE Healthy Environment Action Readiness Training or E-HEART, the underprivileged youth are expected to develop interpersonal skills that will make them change agents and community leaders.
The curriculum was developed by ECONSERVE, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), other departments, and local government units.
Naujan Lake is the fifth largest lake in the country. It is a designated national park and recognized by RAMSAR as a wetland of international importance.
The RAMSAR is an intergovernmental treaty that embodies the commitments of its member countries to maintain the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance and to plan for the wise use of all the wetlands in their territories.
One such activity under this commitment on the part of the Philippines was the holding of the Lake Congress. The first and second Lake Congress were held in November 2003 in Tagaytay City and in Los Baños, Laguna in April 2011.
Partnering with nine other government agencies, the then Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development (PCAMRD), now consolidated with PCAARRD, led the coordination of the First Congress.