RMN Foundation celebrated its 14th anniversary by putting its environmental advocacy into action, planting bamboo along riverbanks and watershed areas in Sitio Canucutan, Barangay Pasonanca, Zamboanga City on September 4.
The activity was led by RMN Zamboanga and 96.3 iFM Zamboanga, with local media practitioners, members of the Zamboanga Press Club, and partners from the DENR-ERDB Forest and Wetland Research, Development and Extension Center (FWREC) taking part.
The planting forms part of Lingap Kalikasan, the foundation’s environmental advocacy program focused on protecting ecosystems, building climate resilience, and encouraging communities to take part in reforestation efforts.
Bamboo was chosen for areas along riverbanks and watersheds because its extensive root system can help hold soil together, reducing erosion and helping protect waterways. Planting in these areas can also contribute to efforts to lessen flooding risks and strengthen the natural defenses of communities that are vulnerable to heavy rains and rising water.
For the people living around these natural spaces, protecting a watershed is about more than keeping an area green. Healthy forests and waterways help support communities by regulating water, protecting soil, and providing natural buffers during extreme weather.
The anniversary activity also brought together groups that do not always share the same role in environmental work. Media practitioners, government researchers, and local partners joined the same effort, showing how community participation can complement institutional environmental programs.
Through Lingap Kalikasan, RMN Foundation continues to give communities opportunities to take part in caring for forests, watersheds, and other natural areas.
The bamboo planted in Pasonanca may take time to grow, but the work begins with giving communities a reason to care for the land they depend on.
