Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson led the 2nd Awarding Ceremony of the Negros Occidental Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award and “Abanse Babaye para sa Dunang Manggad” Award at the Negros Residences in Bacolod City, on Tuesday, November 22.
The awards were given to outstanding Negrenses for their key role in environmental stewardship, leadership in decision-making, and the promotion of positive impact in the conservation of the environment.
The Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award recognizes the contributions of special bodies, individuals, LGUs, and Inter-LGU alliances in Negros Occidental, while the “Abanse Babaye para sa Dunang Manggad” Award recognizes the role and achievements of Negrense women in environment protection.
Lacson said given the urgency of the situation and the vital importance of efforts to sustain and promote activities for the environment, the awards are the provincial government’s way of recognizing the contributions of the awardees.
“Conscious of the fact that no challenge poses a greater threat to our children and our planet than the destruction of the environment, the question we ought to seriously ponder now should be- what kind of future awaits humanity, particularly, our children? “Lacson said.
“The exigency of the recovery of our ecosystems that have been destroyed, and the conservation of those that are still intact are now indisputable,” he said.
Beyond big undertakings, we must also realize that our lifestyle, our everyday choices, have a profound impact on our planet, Lacson pointed out.
According to the United Nations, two thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to private households, he said.
“The electricity we use, the food we eat, including the things we buy, all contribute to a person’s ‘carbon footprint’ – the amount of gas emissions associated with an individual’s activities,” Lacson said.
“It is for this reason, that more than our present awareness and efforts, we need to build a culture, a way of life, that is genuinely keen and dedicated to the preservation of our habitat,” Lacson said.*