THE PHILIPPINE LEADER
SAVING THE ENVIRONMENT
ONE STRAW AT A TIME Written by: JCI Surigao Nickel
Urgent times call for urgent solutions. Looking
around us, what we see are endless plastics littering our environment. People throw their
litter everywhere, what’s worse is that these do not degrade and will be polluting our environment for years and years to come. They will greatly affect our environment and the communities that depend and live in it. Plastics are also ingested by wildlife contributing to their death. These not only affect the flora and fauna around us, but our communities as well. These micro plastics may also enter our bodies when we ingest food f rom animals who have ingested plastics. This is a web of danger and destruction which must be halted and solved. Our actions, be small or great, create impact. What matters is that our actions make an impact to ourselves, our community, and the world. The impact that creates ripples and waves is what matters the
98
most, making everyone aware of the problems and solutions that can address them. It all starts with us. Making a difference, a stride, crosses the mind as we live our daily lives. To combat plastic pollution, JCI Surigao Nickel headed by its 2020 Local Organization President Henry Ace M. Kang thought of an innovative alternative. When the stars aligned, the fated meeting had to happen between Pres. Ace and the Rice Straws. Seeing the opportunity to create a lasting and meaningful impact that leads to positive change for the individual, the community, and the nation as a whole – STRAWnger We RICE – was born. Acknowledging the impact this has for all, as one JCI Philippines family, collaboration and connection with other chapters were inevitable to make a wider impact for everyone.
