DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 11 May)—Davao City-based environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) was among the recipients of the prestigious 4th Lagerwey Awards of the Communication Foundation for Asia (CFA).
The 25-year-old non-government organization (NGO) was bestowed communication excellence for environmental stewardship during a ceremony held at the CFA’s Lagerwey Hall in Santa Mesa, Manila on Friday.
Lawyer Mark Peñalver, IDIS executive director, in a statement on Saturday that the recognition was a validation of the “hard work and commitment” of the advocates working alongside the NGO as environmental stewards.
CFA “acknowledged IDIS’s 25 years of advancing causes and projects for people and the environment, as well as 25 years of promoting mitigating methods to safeguard the watersheds from ridge to reef.”
Peñalver said that the environmental stewardship is a “collaboration” among stakeholders and that no entity or organization can take full credit for its success without other people supporting it.
“We also thank you, our partners, for the stories we made and shared for awareness on the threats and issues faced by our watersheds and the environment, as well as stories of successes in watershed management and environmental conservation,” he said.
He said that the communication plays a part in bridging “communities, advocacies, and policies to address societal and environmental concerns” and, as such, IDIS strengthens its communication platforms to “maximize its full potential in reaching stakeholders and key policy and decision makers to impact sound and positive change.”
IDIS, a member of the watershed management council, takes lead in the protection of critical watersheds of Davao, including protection of the Panigan-Tamugan River, which supplies this city potable water.
The NGO also advocates for the protection of heritage trees in the city, for the passage of a local green building code, the ban on single-use plastics, among other issues.
Aside from IDIS, other organizations in Mindanao were recognized: MindaNews was conferred the first Gen Ong Laurel for Journalism and Cagayan de Oro-based Xavier Science Foundation for “Voice of Conservation.” (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)
