As part of Environment Month celebration, the Environment Stewards Organization (ESO), a youth organization from T’boli National High School South Cotabato City spearheaded an environmental awareness-raising campaign, tree planting activities, and leadership development training that aims to advocate for environmental sustainability and preservation.
With the goal to involve the youth in nature preservation, ESO was founded in October 2014 through the efforts of then principal of T’Boli National High School, Mrs. Mila A. De Leon, T’Boli Mayor Dibu Tuan, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region 12 Director, Datu Tungko Saikul, and four other officers.
Environment Stewards Organization is an environmental youth organization that aims to empower young leaders to be the voice of the youth in the promotion of a toxics-free community through the expansion of ESO-BBT and the creation of sustainable networks.
The organization has also organized several other activities to respond to community needs such as Bangon JuOne Ph, a relief drive operation for typhoon victims, and Project ESOil, a soil tilling and cultivation, and tree planting activity.
Youth participants during Project ESOil’s tree planting activity in Purok Saging, T’Boli, South Cotabato on December 5, 2020. Photo from Environment Stewards Organization’s Facebook page.
ESO’s first activity as an organization is the implementation of Solid Waste Management in T’boli National High School in 2014. The group also organized a School Nature Festival to help their school become an environmentally conscious institution. As of 2022, ESO has approximately 100 members, residents and alumni.
The organization also partnered with BAN Toxics to promote a toxics-free society. Through the Toxics-Free Schools Program (TFSP), BAN Toxics organized training sessions for the members of ESO for the toxics-free world advocacy. The partnership paved the way for the expansion of the organization to ESO-Batang Bantay Toxics (ESO-BBT). ESO-BBT advocates for both environmental protection and sound chemicals management. (TSJ)
