Alvarado receives 2012 Father Neri Satur Award

CITY OF MALOLOS- Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado was awarded the 2012 Father Neri Satur Award for Environmental Heroism during the awarding ceremony held at National Broadcasting Network, Quezon City last April 23, 2012 for his Angat Dam reservation development program.

The awarding ceremony is one of the highlight activities for the Earth Day Week Celebration with the theme, “Year for Sustainable Energy and Cooperatives.”

Under the Disaster R¬¬¬isk Reduction and Management category, Angat Dam management was recognized for modeling anticipative prevention that rehabilitated and fortified damaged structures to mitigate and reduce disaster risks from impending natural calamity like flood.

“Alam kong marami pa ang dapat gawin. But this award will inspire all of us para lutasin ang anumang suliranin na darating sa aming lalawigan. Ito ay hindi lamang aking karangalan kundi karangalan din ng buong Bulacan. We are very thankful that they recognized our advocacy on the preservation of the environment,” Alvarado said.

Also from Bulacan, the Baliuag University (BU) received the same award for Reducing Carbon Footprints: Green Building and Energy Conservation (educational system) category.

The first energy efficient building in Bulacan, the four-storey Information Technology (IT) building in BU runs on renewable energy, specifically solar power, providing 85 percent of building electrical needs and  a rain water harvest facility to self-sustain its water needs. Further, the air cleaning paints reduce air pollution and within its surrounding area.

Awardees were given the AbdulMari Imao specially designed trophy from the organizing committee co-chaired by Earthsavers Founder and Climate Change Commissioner, Heherson Alvarez and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary and UNESCO Commissioner, Ramon Paje.

“The 2012 awardees is a group of men and women, institutes and corporations who have truly made a difference in the quest for a greener environment and in the struggle against climate change,” Paje said.

The Fr. Neri Satur Award for Environmental Heroism is a program of the Climate Change Commission, UNESCO, the Philippine National Commission for Culture and the Arts, (NCCA), and the Earthsavers Movement. It is named in honor of the late priest, environmentalist and deputized forest ranger killed by suspected illegal loggers in the forests of Bukidnon, Philippines in 1991.