Friday, April 18, 2008 QC set to launch Earth Day Jam
WITH the intensified campaign of the Quezon City Government to protect and help save the environment, the city will launch a seven-hour Earth Day Jam on April 25 along Tomas Morato Avenue.
Andrea Andres-Po of the city’s Environmental Protection and Waste Management Department said the event will not only be a concert but an environmental awareness performance by various artists in the music industry today.
“Aside from the actual concert itself, there are also audio-visual presentations (AVP) educating and informing the public about proper solid waste management and energy efficiency,” Andres said, adding that “through the concert they will inform especially the youths to start having concern with the environmental issues in the Philippines and globally.”
Spearheaded by Lou Bonnevie, one of the most respected artists in the music industry and also an advocate of environmental protection, the jam will be joined by about 20 famous and environment advocates bands, musicians and artists.
The line-up features: Barbie Almalbis, True Faith, Callalily, Guarana, Imago, Juan Pablo Dream, Lou Bonnevie, Moonstar 88, Noel Cabangon, Pinikpikan, Radioactive Sago Project, Reggae Mistress, Rivermaya, Sandwich, Sinosikat, Sitti, South Border, The Company, The Philippine Latin-Jazz Orchestra, Up Dharma Down, Zelle, MYX video jockeys (VJ), among others.
The jam was in coordination with the Morato Business Club which has accommodated the event for almost eight years now.
As early as 3 p.m. of April 25, Tomas Morato Avenue will be closed as some establishments in the vicinity will start preparing and setting up the venue.
It is a free admission yearly concert that the City Government and musicians vowed to organize to be able to educate the public especially the youths to start to be more concerned and take care of the nature.
Last year, the officials projected the crowd at 10,000 people while this year, Andres is optimistic that they will surpass last year’s crowd saying more youth organizations and non-government organizations (NGOs) will support the concert.
NGOs are also welcomed to set up booths regarding environmental issues and concerns.
Andres said they started their advocacy for the environment campaign since March 31. They conducted a people’s caravan where representative of all barangays in Quezon City gathered and had a motorcade (about 17 multicabs and tricycles) to educate the people about the Earth Day celebration. People’s caravan programs were also performed in different areas in the Visayas and in Mindanao.
She said the local government also launched the “Sagip Batis” project where they had a massive clean-up through the help of sagip batis volunteers coming from the indigent families and out of school youths in Quezon City. They had cleaned all the creeks and waterways in the city.
She also said they have a year-round cleanup of the surroundings to prevent dengue and promote public awareness about the disease.
On April 20, meanwhile, in cooperation with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Firefly Brigade, over 5,000 cyclists who promote the use of bicycles to lessen air pollution causing global warming will traverse the thoroughfares in Metro Manila.
On April 22, the city will open the Quezon City waste market in which they will set up booths and invite recyclers of traditional and non traditional waste.
According to Andres, the traditional waste are the garbage that people are aware that could be recycled like papers, plastics, metals, bottles, among others.
She also mentioned that there are recycling companies that invested in the country to recycle junk electronics, computer ink cartridges, zesto packs, tomato sauce packs, and malls’ plastic bags which she called the non-traditional. These materials could now also be sold. (JRDB/Sunnex)
