Secondary students in the province of Antique have volunteered to assist in the environmental protection and conservation campaign by serving as environment ambassadors.

“The ambassadors had been conducting information and education campaigns (IEC) and initiated projects for environmental protection and conservation in their schools and communities,” said information officer Mavidel Otayde, of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-PENRO), in an interview on Tuesday.

She said 12 junior and senior high school students, mostly from the University of Antique (UA), have been volunteering as Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) ambassadors.

As ambassadors, they write articles on their social media accounts and participate in the DENR-PENRO-led clean-up and tree-planting activities.

Otayde said the DENR-PENRO held a culminating activity and workshop led by the Dulungan Youth, a youth-led environmental organization in the province, on Jan. 14 since some of the senior high school ambassadors will already be going to college next school year.

During the culminating activity, the ambassadors were given certificates by the DENR-PENRO in appreciation for their one-year volunteer work.

“We are now looking for other secondary students who are willing to also become ENR ambassadors,” Otayde said.

She said they intend to have ambassadors in every municipality with the hope that they will be able to influence their peers and take initiatives to help in environmental protection and conservation campaigns.

Otayde added that those interested might coordinate with the DENR-PENRO or their Community ENROs in Belison and Culasi towns. (PNA)