‘TULOY ANG PADYAK PARA SA KALIKASAN’: MISTAH unites with Aguilar’s LGU and Cyclist Group for Environmental Clean-Up - Mistah Foundation

‘TULOY ANG PADYAK PARA SA KALIKASAN’: MISTAH unites with Aguilar’s LGU and Cyclist Group for Environmental Clean-Up

Date: 14 Nov, 2020  No Comments

MAPITA, AGUILAR, PANGASINAN – “One of the first conditions of happiness is that the link between man and nature shall not be broken.” – Leo Tolstoy

On 8th of November 2020, another clean-up drive and tree planting event were sponsored and hosted by the MISTAH Foundation USA under CDR RICHARD T GUBATAN SR (GSC) PN (Res). The event was also attended by Aguilar’s honorable Mayor ROLDAN C. SAGLES, fifteen (15) personnel from Philippine National Police (PNP) and eight (8) staffs from the Citizen Armed Forces Government Unit (CAFGU) also from Mapita, Aguilar.

Amidst the pandemic crisis, a heart’s desire to help the environment cannot be stopped.
Therefore, about seventy (70) members of San Fabian Mountain Bikers Group (SFMTBG) group joined the MISTAH team and pedaled their way to Mapita to also join the event. It took the bikers approximately 2-and-a-half-hour cycle to reach the municipality. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Community Environment and
Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Bonuan, Dagupan City staff also had their 45-minute drive to tag along with the participants. About one hundred twenty participants united for the environmental affair.

The event started at sunrise, at 6:00am the participants munched their light breakfast and
coffees provided by the MISTAH head himself. At 8:00am, they started their hike up the
mountains of Aguilar. Each participant found spots to sow their seedlings, everyone started
digging and transplanting. About 100 seedlings of Mahogany were planted.

An hour after sowing the seedlings the participants then proceeded to the majestic Mapita
waterfalls. A taxing one hour walk uphill is what took them to get to the rapids. Even though they have not yet arrived at the destination, they picked up whatever litters they could see in their line of sight. When they reach the falls, the participants went to their designated places and started to spruce up the area. For three and a half hours the participants chalked up a whooping three hundred (300) trash bags full of litter.

After taking a little break, the participants then went their way back to CDR Gubatan’s place. Each one had to carry multiple trash bags (to be disposed) for their hike downhill. Thereafter, when they turned up to the place, a boodle fight was already served for their lunch. The event was concluded at 3:00pm that same day.