TWO major natural crises were heavy on everyone’s minds around the time the January Walk the Talk (WTT) activity was taking place.
In Australia, massive and seemingly unstoppable bushfires were ravaging a sizable part of the continent and taking lives, devastating wildlife and displacing entire communities. Closer to home, in Batangas, Taal Volcano became active and began spewing thick ash plumes and steam, forcing whole towns and families to retreat to safety as evacuees.
It was therefore very fitting and timely that appreciating the environment—and finding ways to celebrate, preserve and sustain it—was the central message of the WTT activity on January 18, 2020. The venue—the tree-filled La Mesa Watershed in Quezon City— also helped the participants visualize and appreciate the value of the WTT’s environmental message more.
Around 400 Lopez Group employees, family members and friends attended the walk, which was sponsored by ABSCBN, SKY Cable and Knowledge Channel. What also made the January WTT special to the participants was that it was literally the first WTT activity not just of the new year, but of the new decade.
As part of the sponsors’ duties, SKY’s Dimpy Jazmines welcomed the participants and performed the emceeing chores, SKY’s Edward Gardon delivered the invocation and ABSCBN’s Carms Dumdumaya led the Lopez Credo recitation.
Among the highlights of the occasion was when ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc.’s Mar Ramirez addressed the WTT participants with his opening message. As a Bantay Kalikasan forester, Ramirez stressed the importance of La Mesa Watershed and the vital role that trees and the watershed play for the surrounding communities. He called on the Lopez Group employees to continue being advocates of the environment and to do big and small actions that help save it.
Some of the practices that Ramirez referred are already being done in the WTT activities. Participants are encouraged to bring their own drinking bottles during the walks to help reduce the need for single-use plastics. With their “Refuse to Refuge” program, Lopez Group Foundation Inc. has also started installing a collection bin at WTT events where participants can dispose their plastic wastes and they are given to a partner NGO for recycling.
After the greetings and talks, the participants participated in an energizing warm-up activity where they stretched and learned to dance the steps to Sarah Geronimo’s viral hit “Tala.” The route through the watershed was a challenging six-kilometer route through trees and forest paths, but the participants didn’t mind as they all enjoyed the scenery, took plenty of memorable pictures and reveled in each other’s company as they trekked while communing with nature.
At the end of their walk, the WTT participants were rewarded with a sumptuous and hard-earned “salu-salo” and were also treated to some fun raffle prizes from the sponsors. Additionally, the January WTT was also a venue for Lopez Group employees to drop off donations intended for the Taal Volcano eruption evacuees; the collected donations were turned over to Sagip Kapamilya after the event.
Published on Thursday, 20 August 2020 | Hits:1022
Kapamilya love reached more Filipinos as ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.’s (AFI) “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig: Isang Daan, Isang Pamilya” campaign distributed food packs and ligtas bags outside Metro Manila for those greatly
Published on Thursday, 18 June 2020 | Hits:1017
Local government units (LGUs) found it challenging to quickly provide relief to families affected by the quarantine. That is why several mayors in Metro Manila and nearby provinces have expressed
Published on Thursday, 18 June 2020 | Hits:958
As Filipino families continue to struggle with the loss of jobs, ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) moves to the second phase of the “Pantawid ng Pagibig” campaign with the aim of
Published on Tuesday, 19 May 2020 | Hits:1117
The “Pantawid ng Pag-ibig” campaign of ABS-CBN and ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. (AFI) has raised P350 million in cash donations and pledges for the benefit of over 600,000 families in Metro
Published on Thursday, 06 February 2020 | Hits:1021
NO evacuee will be left behind. This is the promise of ABSCBN as it launches the “Tulong-Tulong sa Taal” campaign, which aims to unite the nation in helping Filipinos affected
Published on Friday, 23 June 2017 | Hits:4892
ABS-CBN Foundation Europe CIO joins public and private support for the victims of the massive fire that hit the 24-storey residential London Grenfell Tower in West London on June 14
Published on Friday, 17 February 2017 | Hits:5084
A state of calamity has been declared by the Mayor of Surigao City. Relief and rescue operations are underway for the barangays that have been affected.
Published on Tuesday, 19 May 2020 | Hits:1820
The Rural Workers Association of San Rafael (RWASR) based in Bulusan, Sorsogon, which runs Nasipit Eco-Agri Farm, has a simple message for their fellow Filipinos: “There is no problem we
Published on Thursday, 16 April 2020 | Hits:1617
ABS-CBN helps arm Filipinos with relevant information to stop the spread of disease through its “Ligtas Pilipinas sa COVID-19” campaign on radio, TV and online.
Published on Thursday, 16 April 2020 | Hits:1760
HELP came through for health workers in East Avenue Medical Center after ABS-CBN delivered masks and other protective gear and snacks to show support and Kapamilya love to those leading
Published on Monday, 09 March 2020 | Hits:1432
“Maraming, maraming salamat po sa award na ipinagkaloob ninyo sa amin. Alay namin ito sa kapatid kong si Gina Lopez,” said “G Diaries” host and Bantay Bata 163 executive director
Published on Monday, 09 March 2020 | Hits:1485
She could hardly contain her joy and excitement when she saw her son walking towards her. She welcomed him with tight hugs and happy tears as a loving mother would
Published on Monday, 09 March 2020 | Hits:1375
ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. (ALKFI) renamed its building Gina Lopez Building in honor of its late chairperson and founder of ALKFI programs Bantay Bata 163 and Bantay Kalikasan.
Published on Thursday, 06 February 2020 | Hits:1475
ACCORDING to UNICEF, 95 children in the Philippines die every day because of malnutrition. This is one of the reasons Alaska Milk Corporation supports the advocacy of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya
Published on Monday, 16 December 2019 | Hits:2207
IN 2015, Unicef and the Council for the Welfare of Children conducted the National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children in the Philippines, which indicated that eight out of 10
Published on Friday, 05 January 2018 | Hits:1912
For the Love of Children For the Love of Children These children live everyday making ends meet without losing hope that a better future awaits them. Together, let’s keep their hopes alive
Published on Wednesday, 20 December 2017 | Hits:2257
New World Hotels and Resorts gears up for another exciting edition of Run & Raise in 2018. Now on its fourth year, Run & Raise 4 will be held at