Project Coco Year 2 Takes the Extra Mile

Madalag, Aklan- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 6 are committed to serve and inform the public of the importance of environmental conservation including those who are located in the far-flung areas.

The Provincial ENR Office of Aklan headed by Provincial ENR Officer Merlene P. Aborka through its Youth Desk Office initiated the Year II of Project CoCo (Collect and Connect): Collect Seedlings to Connect to Nature, in support to the youth engaged in environmental conservation. This year’s participating schools are Agtughangin Integrated School (AIS) and Mananggad Primary School (MPS), both located at Brgy. Panipiason, Madalag, Aklan, within the Protected Area – Aklan River Watershed Forest Reserve (ARWFR).

The two schools were selected for the project being located in a protected area and whose students have limited access to essential school supplies due to inaccessibility. On July 17, 2024, the Project CoCo Year 2 commenced with an orientation on its purpose and mechanics. One hundred eighty-seven (187) participants comprised of students, teaching staff of AIS and MPS, and DENR-PENRO Aklan staff joined the orientation. The project had a one-week running period, from July 17-24, 2024 for the participants to have an ample time to gather wild seedlings within their community.

A total of two hundred and twelve (212) youth gathered with their collected wild seedlings/seeds wrapped using Mud Packing Technique to ensure higher survival. A total of 62,121 seedlings and seeds comprising of forty (40) various species of indigenous and fruit trees
were collected from the pupils and students of AIS and MPS in exchange for essential school supplies – bags, tumblers, lunch box, crayons, pencils, pens, etc.

“This Project has come a long way, from being an experimental learning activity to the upland youths to being a successful endeavor of the Department, especially PENRO Aklan,” PENRO Aborka said.

“This initiative made a significant progress and we, at the DENR, believe this will attract more youths to take part in making a big step for the environment,” said DENR 6 OIC-Regional Executive Director Raul L. Lorilla.

Through Project CoCo, DENR-PENRO Aklan strives to bridge the gap between promoting environmental education in far flung areas and their inaccessibility to essential school supplies. By collecting wild seedlings in exchange of school supplies, the importance of floral species as a component of biodiversity is introduced to the youth thereby establishing a connection with nature. / DENR 6