1.5 billion Trees covering 1.5 million hectares! From 2011 to 2016 in a

span of six years! Executive Order No. 26 declares, as government priority, The

Philippine National Greening Program (NGP)! BUT, What if all these Trees are

produced and raised in our schools? What if we include other plant species that

are geographically suitable, practical and priority need for particular location?

What if we will make the Department of Education lead agency in the

implementation?

Environmental education then will not be the job for our teachers alone

but a concerted effort to all and other convening partners of the NGP

convergence initiative.

Below is Southern Leyte Provincial Action Plan suggestion concept for

continued implementation, an “NGP II” or “NGP +” after 2016. Putting

environmental institutionalism into our school system a primordial concern, a

unified goal for the SDG, a local policy insight suggestion for the Philippines.

Southern Leyte Action 2020 - Philippines “Bridging Concepts & Practice for Climate Resilient Development”

The Need, the Problem, and the Inspiration:

Lack of skills, assets and education trap scavenger communities in extreme poverty. In 2009, data from Maasin City General Services Office showed a total of 179,000.00 pesos worth of recyclable collected in our city dump for that year. 18 families or 33 individuals comprise the community that supplied the data. If divided equally among themselves, they would only make less than 15.00 pesos each as daily income. Today, meager quantity of recyclable reach the city dumpsite due to present policy allowing city garbage collectors to sort out recyclable before being dumped in the city landfill. There are 3rd generation scavengers present in the community and this trend will continue to exist if we do nothing. Poverty is the greatest challenge to achieve development. But what if the poorest among the poorest of the poorest sector in society can become catalyst for change? What if this same sector SDG aim to alleviate are potential change makers for development? Environmental education is key to advancing sustainability in the future. The scavengers and other marginalized member of society has the potential to fast track environmental institutionalism into our school system. The perennial waste management problem is one potential solution that could help bridge the gap. Below, is a concept plan suggestion for livelihood opportunities and might over time, will evolved into business opportunities, economic prosperity and increase income for our rural communities. More importantly, putting environmental education a primordial objective and ultimate goal for this endeavor to accomplish!

The Campaign, the Solution, the Vision: We would like to emphasize the raising of Quality Seedlings. Implementing Quality or “Q” Seedling Standard promote livelihood opportunities to scavenger communities in dumpsite and landfill areas as it would require compost soil as potting medium a component to meet quality seedling standard. It would only take 30,000 bags of compost soil to raise 3 million seedling pots, a volume our city landfill can easily produce. At 50.00 pesos per bag means added income to our scavenger’s community. It would only take 300 individuals to finish 3 million seedling pots in 30 days at a conservative output of 300 pots per individual. Prospective workforce already present in every school PTCA - Parents-Teachers Community Association, where active members mostly are women. And, it would only take 150 communities to organize and establish a school tree-plant nursery to accommodate 20,000 seedlings, an area available in rural community school grounds and campuses. The establishment of 150 school tree-plant nurseries would also help generate income and livelihood opportunities to bamboo producing communities. Taking into consideration 100 pieces of bamboo pole per school or 15,000 pieces of bamboo materials required for construction. Nipa as indigenous roofing material will also be encourage. Allocating 1,000 pieces for every nursery site would also help create market demand for nipa product increasing income and livelihood opportunities for nipa producing communities. Implementing this concept therefore, will make the poorest among the poorest sector of society active actors for change. Not only they will find income but they themselves has the ability to become silent stewards for the environment. More importantly, environmental education will not be the job for teachers alone but a unified responsibility for the whole community.

3,000,000 Target Seedling Production30% Nursery Sapling Mortality

2,100,000 Dispersed & Planted50% Survival Rate

1,050,000 Mature Fruit Bearing Trees100 Price Per Kilo @ 1kg/Tree

105,000,000 Farmers Annual Income525,000,000 Farmers Annual Income after

5 years & succeeding years

The Opportunities, the Product, the Service: Aside from the estimated 15,000 individuals directly involved in seedling production alone, a conservative projected estimate of 1,050,000 pesos annual income will be shared among farmers 3-5 years after implementation and 525,000,000 pesos projected annual income soon after as all tress bear fruits.

Other Opportunities: Compost, an abundant mineral resource in dumpsites and landfill areas has all the potential to promote food security, improve soil fertility, and create rural livelihood, green jobs, business opportunities, and economic enterprise. It would also escalate and fast track environmental education into our school system. And, Will also advance opportunities to formulate business models to make these stakeholder communities become stakeholder-entrepreneurs and partner-shareholders, essential for sustainability in the future.

Draft Production Cost Estimate 1st Year Implementation:

A. Seedlings

1) Plastic Bag (4x6) 1,000,000 0.40 400,000.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 1 Business owner

2) Compost 7,500 50.00 375,000.00 Dumpsite Communities/Members 187,500.00 30 Head of family

3) River Sand 2,500 25.00 62,500.00 River Communities/Members 31,250.00 30 Head of family

4) Labor Incentive in: 10,000 10.00 100,000.00 River Communities/Members 50,000.00 30 Head of family

a) Unloading of compost

b) Mixing compost with riversand

c) Loading & Delivery to school nurseries sites

5) Labor in potting of seedling bags 1,000,000 0.50 500,000.00 250,000.00 1,500

6) Labor in Piling of seedling pots to seedling beds 1,000,000 0.30 300,000.00 150,000.00 1,500

7) Labor incentive in sowing, maintenance & care 1,000,000 3.00 3,000,000.00 1,500,000.00 1,500

(120 days/4 months @ 500.00/day food, snacks

and meal allowance for present members)

8) Procurement of seeds 1,000,000 0.10 100,000.00 Certified Supplier/Member/Partner 50,000.00 0 Orgnization/Group

Estimated Cost 4,837,500.00 2,218,750.00 4,591

B. Community School Nursery Establishment

(50 schools @ 20,000 capacity)

1) 50 Multi-purpse shed structures

a) Bamboo materials 5,000 100.00 500,000.00 Bamboo producing communities/Members 250,000.00 90 Head of family

b) Nipa roofing materials 50,000 15.00 750,000.00 Nipa producing communities/Members 375,000.00 120 Head of family

2) Germination shed - plastic roof cost only 50 700.00 35,000.00 Local business supplier/partner agencies 0.00 0 Owner

3) Seedling beds/plots (10 sets/school) 500 45.00 22,500.00 11,250.00 100 Head of family

4) Seedling trays (60 seedling-capacity) 17,000 30.00 510,000.00 255,000.00 90 Head of family

5) Seedling stand ( 15 tray-capacity) 1,333 100.00 133,300.00 66,650.00 25 Head of family

Estimated Cost 1,950,800.00 975,400.00 425

C. Basic Nursery Tools & Equipment

1) Potting table (1/2 marine plywood & materials) 50 750.00 37,500.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

a) Labor cost 50 200.00 10,000.00 School PTCA, Faculty, Students, Community Members & Barangay Council & Youth5,000.00 50 Head of family

2) Potting stool (bamboo, nails & rattan tie wire) 100 100.00 10,000.00 School PTCA, Faculty, Students, Community Members & Barangay Council & Youth5,000.00 50 Head of family

3) Spade 50 315.00 15,750.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

4) Wheelborrow (reinforced steel bars) 50 2,600.00 130,000.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

5) Trawels (3 sets per school) 150 155.00 23,250.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

6) Sprinklers (3 sets per school) 3 115.00 345.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

7) Pail/Water containers (3 sets per school) 3 100.00 300.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

8) Sprayers (1 for every school) 50 115.00 5,750.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

9) Drums - water & rain storage (2 per school) 100 1,200.00 120,000.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

10) Hand saw (1 set per school) 50 645.00 32,250.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

11) hammer (1 set per school) 50 478.00 23,900.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

12) Garden hose set 100 meters @ 5/8 50 2,800.00 140,000.00 Various Hardware store 0.00 0 Business owner

13) Miscellaneous 50 3,000.00 150,000.00 To Be Determined 0.00 0 To Be Determined

Estimated Cost 699,045.00 10,000.00 100

Total Estimated Direct Cost 7,487,345.00 Total Capital Buildup of members 3,204,150.00 5,116 Total Beneficiaries

Impact Assessment:

1. Fifty (50) new communities/school partner groups with buildup capital of 3,204,150.00 Motivating environmental institutionalism into our school system. Making both the teachers & community members

environmental extension service providers. We also empower the women sector as mostly members of PTCA are wifes and housewifes.

2. 30 head of family members in dumpsite communities has now a starting capital of 187,500.00

3. 30 head of family members of river communities will have a working capital of 81,250.00. They can now venture in other sustainable ecosystem livelihood in hollowblocks making,

bamboo seedling propagation, vegetable gardening, etc., and become stewards of the river landscape.

4. 90 head of family members in bamboo producing community now has a working capital of 250,000.00.

5. 120 Nipa producing community members has now 375,000.00 to venture more to improve social and economic resources.

6. Rural communities and the urban poor in landfil l & dumpsites perfect synchronicity for a common goal exchanging resources and collaboration both natural & human labor, promoting rural l ivelihood.

7. 5,116 estimated individuals that would be directly involved. How could we make their involvement sustainable?

8. What if this "force savings" will be use as capital investment for the group to venture into coffee/cacao buying station or processing plant. This will be the beginning of stakeholder-entgrepreneur or stakeholder

investor. Total Capital Buildup of = 3,204,150.00 (Starting a Social Enterprise?)

Targeted Technical/Financial Support: R e c a p : N o t e : The above projections and informations are gathered by

1. DepEd Seedlings 4,837,500.00 Restore Green Movement Alliance for Green Schools &

2. DA, MAO Nursery Establishment 1,950,800.00 Communities (RGM Alliance) only (2013). Although copies of the

3. DILG Nursery Tools/Equipment 699,045.00 concept above was and has already been shared to various

4. TESDA Estimated Total Cost 7,487,345.00 Starting Up or 1st year Implementation Local Government Offices & Agencies to inspire collaboration,

5. DOST stil l we lack the shared understanding to come up with a

6. DOLE 2nd Year/Cropping Estimated Expenses: common goal and catalyze potential partners.

7. DPWH 7,487,345.00

8. DSWD -1,950,800.00

9. DENR -699,045.00

10. LGU Estimated Total Cost 4,837,500.00 2nd year/cropping or succeeding Imprementation

30 target head of

family members

each school

1 Million Coffee & Cacao Quality SeedlingsEstimated Production Cost 1st year Implementation in 50 Community School Nursery Sites

No. of

pieces/bagsUnit Cost T o t a l Beneficiary Community

Force savings/Capital

buildup/Members Investment

(50%)

Number of

Beneficiaries

Individuals

Remarks

School PTCA, Faculty, Students,

Community Members, Barangay

Council

Beneficiary Community

Force savings/Capital

buildup/Members Investment

(50%)

Number of

Beneficiaries

Individuals

Remarks

School PTCA, Faculty, Students,

Community Members & Barangay

Council & Youth

Unit CostNo. of

pieces/bags

No. of

pieces/bagsUnit Cost T o t a l

Force savings/Capital

buildup/Members Investment

(50%)

Number of

Beneficiaries

Individuals

RemarksBeneficiary CommunityT o t a l