Eco-friendly initiatives in the Philippines

Since 2013, we have been established in the Philippines. Why the Philippines? Of course for the beauty of the country, underwater side but also on land, but also because we know that we will be able to carry out “intelligent” actions of awareness, creation, preservation ...

We established ourselves on the island of Bohol in the Visayas where, as in many other places in the Philippines (as elsewhere), the preservation of the environment is not necessarily one of the priorities of local populations or governments.

Also, Equation, a responsible diving center, has been working since 2014 on the creation and deployment of awareness-raising, training and education actions and each tiny victory gives us immense happiness.

This year, thanks to a team motivated by change, Equation initiated 3 projects.

“TRAINING AND EDUCATION OF LOCAL POPULATIONS”

The first, and one of those which is most important to us, is the permanent sensitization of local populations and politicians on the need to take care of Mother Nature, to preserve her resources and therefore to act daily in favor of the environment. Unfortunately, the local populations are hardly aware of the problems of plastics and other ultra-polluting waste for the Ocean but also for all the earth's riches. We are therefore working, with the support of our partner Longitude 181, on an educational program for primary schools in order to have, over the long term, eco-actors as spokespersons in their families.

“TRAINING OF STAFF AND INSTRUCTORS”

Like the Divers of the World programs, Equation dedicates part of its profits, but also benefits from the help of sponsors to train its staff in diving, but also to involve them in all environmental actions such as coral plantations. 

Dive boat crews are not always sensitive to the environment. Crossing floating plastics when reaching dive sites, discovering rusty cans on beaches and other waste issues are not priority topics. Also, in this program, we have decided to bring them underwater, to train them as a diver (the whole crew is Open Water PADI and for some Advanced) and, the objective of Equation is to be able to promote those who wish to become a Divemaster in order to relay, too, subjects related to the preservation of the seabed, beaches and the environment, quite simply.

“RICE AGAINST WASTE”

Equation is located in a small village on the island of Panglao, by the sea, where huts of fortunes coexist with traditional cottages. The people there are poor, very poor. It is also this authenticity that we liked and the possibility of carrying out actions with these premises. 

Once a month, Equation organizes a beach cleaning with the children but also the mothers of the village. The opportunity to share, then, fruits, games, competitions.

At the end of these operations, we suggested to the villagers, the very people who deposit their garbage on the ground, in the countryside, on the beach, near their huts, to manage the disposal of their waste for them. with the Municipality. Also, every Monday, the villagers are invited to bring their sorted waste to our diving center and the families who brought back the most each month are given a 10 kilogram bag of rice. 

An action difficult to make endure but we believe in it again and again!

Today, Equation, its founders Carol & Jerome but also the whole fabulous team are counting on you to support these initiatives which, we hope, will gradually change mentalities.

Eco responsible trophies organized by TriblOo.com et Longitude181 are aimed at rewarding these actions and supporting them. 

We are counting on you to support us and, in your turn, help ensure that the island of Panglao, Bohol, Philippines gradually becomes an island without waste, provided with responsible actors and a government aware of the need to take care of our natural capital.

Click on each project to find out in detail and vote. You can vote for each project. Thank you all and happy new year 2017 to all readers!