ESP 10 IN-SITU TREE PLANTING AND ECO WALK

                     ESP 10 IN-SITU TREE PLANTING AND ECO WALK

March 17-18, 2017

Mantukoy, Concepcion, Misamis Occidental

The activity was presented and granted when two of my Grade 10 students namely Nhea Mae Caroro and Arbie Etol who was Class President and SSG President at that time wrote me a letter requesting that they want to do tree planting activity with the class in connection to our EsP 10 community service topic provided that I will accompany them and will serve as the group-in-charge.

With their enthusiasm and perseverance to do the activity, I prepared and made letters to the following public officials asking for support in which they immediately approved.

-          Hon. Juanidy M. Viña - Municipal Mayor, to warrant our safety and assist us during the acitivity;

-          Brgy. Capt. Rey Ponce – Brgy. Captain Upper Salimpuno , to request Falcata seedlings to be planted.

I also prepared Activity Design in which Sir Nilo Tubio approved.

Communication letters and papers are prepared and approved, so next thing I did was to visit the area to look for an area to plant and area to serve as our quarters and to made a meeting with the Barangay Captain to arrange the dates and things we need.

I visited the barangay with two (2) of my students accompanied me namely Jelou Damalerio and Gemar Encabo on March 4, 2017 to prepare necessary things and to do survey of the areas need for planting. I also told the dwellers that we will have a tree planting activity together with Grade 10 students on March 17 and 18 and they happily told me to indulge us on our visit.

September 17 came and everybody is so excited. We depart from Concepcion National High School to Brgy. Mantukoy at 4:30 PM and arrived at 6:00PM. During our hike everybody is happy and laughter’s are heard everywhere. We decided to take a short-cut from Capule to Maligubaan road to reach destination fast and to give us enough time to prepare for our supper.

As expected, dwellers indulged us as we arrived at the area and told us that their happy to have us as their visitors. They also told us that this is the first time that students hold tree planting activity there and visit the place. It felt good and I truly appreciate them.

The group was regrouped and assigned tasks prior to the activity proper so there was no problem during the arrival because everybody has anticipated the consequences beforehand.

We ate dinner at around 7:00 PM and we had a “boodle fight” for our supper and everybody felt full due to joyous meal taking and picture taking.

By the time we finished our supper and chores, we had a short orientation of the things to do for tomorrow’s schedule which everybody prepared and agreed upon.

The night was full of laughter’s as I devised games for everyone. Everybody played it and a consequence was established- to draw a black pain on face on loser’s face. Everybody was so happy that we don’t feel sleepy at all till its past 12:00 midnight and we slept.

Next day, assigned to prepare our breakfast, woke up first to prepare it while other group fetch water and prepare things for planting. We ate our breakfast at exactly 6:30 AM again in “boodle fight” style.

We began our tree planting activity at exactly 7:15 AM at our designated areas. First area led by my colleagues Jaypee Veradio part first to their area, then Evan Jane Jumamil on the second group and me on the last group. Each group are instructed to take pictures for documentation and to count planted trees and clean the surrounding for trees to plant to which they did.

After the said activity, the students are instructed to go to the dwellers and do the survey and interview.

There was enough time left for us so everybody decided to a take a plunge at Peryang Falls to take a bath and refresh. We packed our lunch and walked the distance to the falls that awoke everybody’s interest. “No one left behind” is our motto for this activity, so there is really no one left alone in the room that we all swam and plunge to the refreshing water and splash of the falls. It is icy cold that there was no one wanted to a bath first without being wetted by someone. Again the lonely falls became happy as the place is crowded by us and noise are so loud. I’m so glad that nothing bad happened and pure joy is all that is experienced.

We returned to our room past 3:00 PM with shivering lips, body and wet clothes. Everybody has hard time to speak due to cold water and cold air touching us. We only have smiles on faces and laughter’s as we strode the streets.

Everybody is tired that no one felt hungry, we all slept together and woke up around 6:00 PM to prepare our supper.

Our supper this time is again full of laughter’s as we reminisce each of our experiences especially on Peryang Falls. There was teasing and bullying but it was pure fun that nobody is hostile about it. The replies were all smiles and laughter’s that they also tease me.

Later our supper, I gather the group for an open forum and evaluation of our activity and for preparation for tomorrow’s departure. Everyone requested for an extension for even a single day but I insisted on leaving tomorrow for the reasons I discussed them. I’m so glad that they understood my point and gladly proceeded to my request. The discussion and open forum was concluded that we immediately played games we did last night. Again, everybody participated and blissful night was experienced.

The next day, everybody woke up at agreed time to do respective tasks. The chores came easy because everyone helped and volunteered. We had our breakfast with seemingly not so joyful yet serious one. Everybody felt the tense of leaving the area but with full of memories to treasure. I’m so glad that Jaypee ease them out.

We finished necessary cleaning of the things and the school and was ready to depart at around 9:00AM. Bade our goodbyes and thank you’s to everybody.

We reached passed 5:00PM at Brgy. Poblacion which we departed ways to return home.

The activity was successful that I decided to have it every year. It is surprising that upon hearing the dwellers reactions of our action, I felt the need be of help to them and to the community they value the most. I also emphasized the purpose of trees to our lives being the source of fresh air we breathe and the main material for our basic need.