By Prof. Sarex Dalida Dipol, Jr.

Participants from different departments of the CPU College of Arts and Sciences during the Environmental Outreach in Northwest Panay.

The Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park is one of the prominent natural parks in the country. It is located is the northwest of Panay Island, covering the municipalities of Nabas, Buruanga, Malay in the province of Aklan, while the municipalities of Pandan and Libertad are located in the province of Antique.

This natural park is a vital watershed that provides water to over 100,000 inhabitants. It is the home a wide variety of fauna in the region; such as the Visayan leopard cat, Visayan spotted deer, Visayan warty pig, Walden’s hornbill, and Panay monitor among others. Nara tree and Venus slipper are examples of flora.

However, various human activities are threats to the stability of the natural park, such as conversion of some parts of agricultural areas to ecotourism, road widening, human settlements and the like. Even climate change and other natural disasters have made a great negative impact on it. Dr. Gerada is faculty-in-charge of fruit-tree growing activity in the area.

On March 27, 2023 (Monday), the CPU College of Arts and Sciences conducted environmental rehabilitation activities in a selected part of Northwest Panay Peninsula Natural Park, specifically in the municipality of Libertad in Antique. Fruit-tree growing activity, mangrove growing activity, coastal clean-up activity and environmental stewardship literacy are environmental rehabilitation activities orchestrated in the area.

Prof. Cherrylyn M. Macairan, a marine biologist and faculty member of Department of Life Sciences, is one of the resource speakers of environmental stewardship literacy.

The participants of these environmental rehabilitation activities are selected students and faculty of the College of Arts and Sciences of Central Philippine University, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (Libertad), Bureau of Fire Protection, the beneficiaries of Department of Social Welfare and Development – Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (DSWD-4Ps), Local Government Unit (Libertad), Libertad Central School and the Department of Agriculture – Western Visayas, partially donated two hundred (200) fruit-tree seedlings out of one thousand (1,000) seedlings targeted to be planted in a natural park.

Mayor Mary Jean Te, the multi-awarded Local Government leader of the Municipality of Libertad Antique, is a Centralian and ardent supporter of Environmental Outreach Projects. She is a Graduate of the CPU College of Arts and Sciences, Major in Political Science Batch 1983.