ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE PROPOSAL

Sarah Mae B. Estrella

College of Social Sciences and Philosophy Representative-elect
University Student Council 2015-2016

The history of life on Earth has been a history of interaction between living things and their
surroundings. To a large extent, the physical form and the habits of the earths vegetation
and its animal life have been molded by the environment. Considering the whole span of
earthly time, the opposite effect, in which life actually modifies its surroundings, has been
relatively slight. Only within the moment of time represented by the present century has one
species -man- acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world.Rachel Carson
(author of Silent Spring)

RATIONALE
It is enshrined in the University Student Council (USC) Constitution that the USC shall at all
times strive to uphold the ideals of the university geared towards ensuring a well-rounded
intellectual, social, cultural, and physical development for every student. This would not
and cannot be possible without a safe, green and sustainable environment. As inhabitants of
this Earth, we are highly dependent on its resources; however, it is our responsibility to
maintain its sustainability for the next generations.
Unfortunately, this is not what is happening in status quo. Forests are being destroyed at
exponential rates, carbon dioxide emissions are reaching unprecedented levels, and the
gaping hole of the ozone layer is widening as the days pass, leaving us more vulnerable to the
adverse effects of global warming. One does not even need to look far to see environmental
degradation in place. Just here in UP, we are rife with several problems such as the
implementation of the waste segregation scheme and the excessive use of plastic materials.
The Philippines is among the countries that are most susceptible to disasters brought about by
global warming and climate change. In this light, it is high time that Filipinos realize the
importance of protecting, restoring and conserving the natural environment especially in
pursuit of development, and one of the best ways to start doing so is to instill environmental
awareness and responsibility among UP students.

VISION
The University Student Council envisions an Environmental Concerns Committee (ECC) that is
not merely reactive, but proactive in instigating efforts to promote environmental awareness,
which would result to collective action in pursuit of sustainable development. In addition to
the usual functions of the ECC, this year, we would like to focus on providing UP students
with a safer environment as well.

MISSION
The ECC aims to promote a greener and safer UP campus, as well as environmentalism as a
way of life among UP students, specifically:
To instill environmental consciousness among UP students through various information
dissemination drives

To provide avenues for UP students to protect, restore, and conserve the natural
environment
To provide projects and initiatives that would lessen each UP students carbon
footprint
To improve the waste segregation mechanism in UP Diliman
To equip UP students with knowledge they can use when faced with natural disasters
To put environmental concerns into mainstream discourse through the reconvening of
the General Assembly of Environmental Advocates (GAEA)
To provide the UP community with a safer environment

COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

ECC Head

Project
Heads

Project
Officer 1

GAEA
Coordinator

Project
Officer 2

Secretary
Officer/s

Publicity
Officer/s

COMMITTEE FUNCTIONS
1. Committee Head
a. Shall supervise all the programs, projects, researches, and campaigns of the
committee
b. Shall preside all the meetings of the committee
c. Shall be a signatory to all letters to be released by the committee
d. Shall coordinate the action steps of the committee to the USC
e. Shall prepare the necessary documentation of all programs, projects, research,
and campaigns of the committee including concept papers, financial
statements and formal minutes
f. Shall give a short training to the volunteer corps that shall join the committee
g. Shall convene the General Assembly of Environmental Advocates (GAEA)
h. Shall act as contact person in case of queries and questions from
participants/tie-up partners in events
i. Shall act as liaison between the committee and its tie-up partners
2. GAEA Coordinator
a. Shall be in charge of scheduling the GAEA meetings
b. Shall secure the attendance and representation of the representatives of the
various GAEA organizations in the meetings
c. Shall be in charge of the general membership affairs of GAEA
d. Aside from the ECC Head, shall be the liaison between the GAEA and the USC
e. Shall convene the GAEA in case the ECC Head cannot
3. Publicity Officer/s
a. Shall take charge of all promotion and publicity efforts in any form of media to
ensure the widest coverage possible for information dissemination drives and
maximum participation in ECC events
b. Shall take charge in the creation of ECC publicity materials
c. Shall manage the press releases of the ECC
4. Secretariat Officers
a. Shall take minutes of all ECC-related meetings
b. Shall take attendance in all ECC-related events
c. Shall keep, file and take care of all important documents and properties of the
ECC
d. Shall be the disciplinary officer of the ECC
1. Project Heads (Ayoko ng Plastic, Waste Segregation, Padyak, Green UP)
a. Shall oversee and supervise the operation and successful completion of their
respective projects
b. Shall determine his or her teams structure
c. Shall manage his or her set of team officers
2. Project Officers
a. Shall perform the task that his or her Project Head has assigned to him or her

PROJECTS
1. Ayoko ng Plastic
a. Rationale: Plastics, particularly straws, takes thousands of years to degrade.
Unfortunately, their usage has been increasing over time, causing problems
ranging from decreased space in landfills to the death of aquatic life. We must
thus minimize using these materials.
b. Ayoko ng Plastic will thus aim to prevent plastics unnecessary usage through:
1)
A comprehensive study on plastics presently used in the campus to
find out the types to prioritize prevention and to be able to
provide feasible and hopefully cheaper alternatives to those that
will be removed
2)
An information dissemination drive on plastic use, types, and its
harms to the environment
3)
The postage of signs around UP stores, asking customers not only
to reduce, reuse and recycle, but to refuse plastic as well,
especially when it is not needed

2. Waste Segregation
a. Rationale: Task Force Solid Waste Managements staff members are currently
overburdened. Besides collecting our waste, they would also have to manually
segregate it themselves, and they get paid the same wage regardless of having this
additional task. We would thus want everyone in UP Diliman, whether student or
outsider, to segregate their trash themselves.
b. Description: The USC will thus aim to improve the campus waste segregation scheme
through:
1)
Develop a Comprehensive Waste Management Plan through coordination
with the Task Force Solid Waste Management staff to gain a more
comprehensive analysis of needs that the ECC will have to attend to
2)
Information dissemination efforts (video/infographic) on the waste
segregation situation in UP Diliman, not only to the students but also to
the staff and residents of the UP community
3)
Coordinating with the OVCCA and/or local college councils for the proper
labelling of trash bins
4)
Coordinate with the janitors and staff to ensure that proper waste
segregation reaches the maintenance level. The ECC will also initiate
links with the janitors and maintenance staff to the Task Force Solid
Waste Management staff to help those who are in need for solid waste
management training
5)
Coordinate with representatives from the UP community and the OVCCA
to disseminate information about waste segregation and encourage
residents to get involved in proper waste segregation also
6)
Coordinating with the Q.C. government regarding ways to improve and
increase the stringency in waste collection
7)
Raising funds to buy additional equipment for TFSWM

8)
9)

Maximize the availability of a present Materials Recovery Facility to

facilitate reuse, reduction, and recycling of trash in the community
Propose a Vermicompost Project that will provide an alternative to food
that will be thrown as waste so that these leftover food can be fed to
worms instead and use these worms feces as fertilizers instead

3. Padyak
a. Rationale: We are currently faced with rising gas prices, increased car usage and
parking spot shortages in certain colleges in UP Diliman. However, there is one simple
way to remedy all of this while reducing our carbon footprint at the same timeusing
bikes.
b. Description: To revive the former Padyak, the bike rental system in UP Diliman, as well
as to give Iskos and Iskas alternatives for cheaper and more environmentally-friendly
transport, the ECC shall do the following:
1)
Coordinate with the Circle of Entrepreneurs (CE) and the Civil
Engineering Department in the conduct of a feasibility study and
brainstorming on the mechanisms to be used for Padyak
2)
Coordinate with the OVCCA and/or the respective college deans in
setting up bike racks in key locations
3)
Solicit donations and sponsorships for the bikes to be used in Padyak

4. Green UP
a. Rationale: On a more general scheme, we all want a greener campus, and as much as
we already have so many trees in the campus, it is important to further emphasize our
personal responsibility with regard to matters concerning our environment. We need to
not only be aware and learn how to develop a green and safe environment, but also
apply these learnings through mechanisms that promote a sustainable environment.
b. Description: This project aims to encourage students to act proactively by providing
incentives and rewards that will further promote environment-friendly actions. In this
light, the ECC shall:
1) Conduct paper and plastic drives coursed through local college councils and
organizations to encourage proper reuse and recycling of materials
2) Conduct researches and update on news relevant not only specific to our
campus but extended to other sectors of the environment. The ECC shall
coordinate with the EdRes committee for more concrete projects for
possible campaigns
3) Organize an Earth Week that will culminate the year-long efforts of the
USC, the local college councils, and various organizations for the
environment

5. Environmental Campaigns
a. Rationale: We are faced with environmental concerns not only in our campus but even
more specifically at the national level. Our country is facing issues regarding mining,
logging, climate justice, water conservation, earthquakes, etc. We have the
responsibility to not only be aware but to further spread information about these
matters and stimulate discourse about what we can do to contribute change.

OTHER INITIATIVES
1. DRRM Efforts
a. Rationale: In light of climate change, the Philippines has been experiencing
various natural disaster, the most notorious of which is Typhoon Yolanda. We
would thus like to equip UP students with appropriate and substantive
knowledge and skills to aid them in the face of these disasters.
b. Description: In this light, the ECC shall:
1) Post publicity materials in key places on what to do in situations such
as earth quakes, flashfloods, landslides, fires and volcanic eruptions.
These materials will also be disseminated online.
2) Disseminate geological hazard maps to targeted provincial orgs
3) Disseminate news reports and/or updates on possible storms, volcanic
eruptions, and anything of the like
4) Conduct fire and earthquake drills to help the students be better
prepared for possibilities of disasters

2. Convene GAEA
a. Rationale: The ECC of last year was able to re-convene and coordinate the
General Assembly of Environmental Advocates, a network of environmental
organizations in UP Diliman. Through GAEA, various projects such as the World
Environment Day were conducted. We would thus like to re-convene them to
continue, improve and add to everything previously started, such as the
Recyclables Fair, E-Waste Project, Bird Watching, Discussion Groups, etc.

3. Trap Neuter Return (TNR)

a. Rationale: UP is inhabited by a lot of stray dogs and cats, and their growing
number poses harm to students and themselves due to rabies incidents and
animal abuse. To mitigate these, the ECC shall partner with the Philippine
Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) for a Trap Neuter Return (TNR) Program for as
much stray animals in UP Diliman.

4. Safe UP
a. Rationale: With rising crime rates in the campus, safety has always been an
issue in UP. As such, the ECC shall coordinate with the Students Rights and
Welfare Committee to ensure a safer campus especially for UP students. This
shall be done through various efforts such as Security Dialogues and the
continuation of the UP the Budget Campaign to re-appropriate funds to hire
more security personnel, acquire more lighting and CCTV cameras for the
campuses, etc.

b. Description: In this light, the ECC shall:

1) Initiate a security mapping project that will track the areas in UP
that needs further security measures
2) Coordinate with the UPDP with the help of the BSS Committee to
further emphasize the importance of UPD Police Roving at night, and
also encourage an established centralized UPD Hotline that
students, residents, faculty, and staff can contact for any
emergencies
3) Draft a document that encompasses clear protocols and guidelines
to follow during crimes

5. Policy Implementation
a. Rationale: There are several environmental policies directly affecting us that
are not implemented properly. Examples of these include the Clean Air Act of
1995 and the Tobacco Act of 2003, among many others. The ECC shall identify
the key policies that affect not only students, but constituents at the national
level, and coordinate with the appropriate authorities for the proper
implementation of these.
b. Description: The ECC shall conduct a research on policies forwarded on the
local (UP) and national level that the committee and the USC can support the
legislations for a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable environment.