NEWS

First peoples, First Nations, Aboriginal peoples, Native peoples, Indigenous natives, or Autochthonous peoples, these words are synonymous for Indigenous peoples. This month (August 09, 2022) is the global celebration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. Focusing on this year’s theme: “The Role of Indigenous Women in the Preservation and Transmission of Traditional Knowledge”.

Back then, indigenous women played a crucial role in preserving and transmitting traditional ancestral knowledge and tapped as the backbone of indigenous peoples’ communities. They have an integral collective and community role as stewards of natural resources and wardens of scientific knowledge. Most indigenous women are leaders, defending lands and territories and advocating for indigenous peoples’ collective rights worldwide.

In the Philippines, women empowerment has been celebrated since the pre-colonial period. Indigenous Filipinas serve as “Babaylan” (shaman) and “Catalonan” (healer, priestess, seer, guardian of folk knowledge, and performer of rituals (Barretto-Tesoro, 2008)).

#InternationalDayoftheWorldsIndigenousPeople

#WeAreIndigenous

#ProjectSAFE

#ICCEM_COS_CLSU

#CHED_HEDF

The mangrove ecosystem is “a unique, special and vulnerable ecosystem”. The twenty-sixth (26th) of July is dedicated to celebrating The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem. This event aims to uphold awareness of the importance of the mangrove ecosystem to humans, animals, and other living organisms and to promote conservation practices, sustainability, and its benefits.

This International Day of celebration was adopted by the General Conference of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2015.

#InternationalDayfortheConservationoftheMangroveEcosystem

#BiodiversityConservation

#ProjectSAFE

#ICCEM_COS_CLSU

#CHED_HEDF

LK:

On June 23, 2022, Ms. Mary Angella Tolentino and Mr. Carl Dionelle Ponce, Project Technical Staff of Project SAFE, did a benchmarking activity at Rice Science Museum, PhilRICE, Science City of Munoz. They were accommodated by Ms. Laarnie Mandia, Head of the Community Relations Office, as she discussed the significance of the exhibit displays.

Ms. Marilyn C. Ferrer, Gene Bank Manager/Senior Science Research Specialist, together with Mr. Malvin Duldulao, Information System Analyst II of Genetic Resources Division, addressed the inquiry regarding the specimen assistance and provided information on rice handling from seed sorting to seed preservation. Traditional rice varieties were also on display.

July 16 is #WorldSnakeDay, an opportunity to celebrate the conservation and preservation of snakes worldwide. Despite the fact that snakes are threatened by habitat loss, climate change, and disease, adverse attitudes toward snakes may be the biggest obstacle to their preservation threats.

Remember, snakes are more scared of you than you are of them.

Executive Order No, 137, s.1999 declared the month of July as National Disaster Consciousness Month. The observance was renamed National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) by virtue of Executive Order No. 29, s. 2017 to highlight the shift from disaster awareness building to disaster resilience. The annual observance of the NDRM emphasizes the importance of collaboration in addressing the challenges of Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) issued Memorandum No. 093, s. 2022 informing of this year’s theme: “Sambayanang Pilipino, Nagkakaisa tungo sa Katatagan at Maunlad na Kinabukasan,” which highlights the unifying efforts of all sectors, and communities towards sustainable development.