In its efforts to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008, Societas Scientia, a student organization at Mountain Province State University, organized a series of clean-up drives along the Chico River bank and through the central barangays of Bontoc in October and November 2024.
Scheduled over the weekends, Science major students, along with faculty and students from and School of Advanced Education under Science, Technology, and Society, walked the streets to clean up garbage that had been left on the streets and along the river bank. For four consistent years, the group’s efforts have been a manifestation of their commitment to promoting awareness about waste management and pollution prevention, not only among the students of the state university but also within the community.
The group directed the clean-up drive from MPSU frontage to Balitian Bridge on November 16. Each person carries safety equipment such as masks and gloves, along with cleaning tools like waste bags and stick brooms. Ultimately, the municipal garbage collectors collected a total of 22 large garbage bags. Another clean-up drive will focus on the streets from MPSU to Latang Bridge, View Deck, and Lengsad on November 22.
This hands-on approach of the organization toward maintaining cleanliness and beautification of the community is a reminder to the students that they can make their impacts individually through conscious efforts in managing waste and thereby preventing pollution.
