Anchored on "love for nature and ultimately to mankind" as expressed by Rev. Father Franklyn Floyd Costan in his opening prayer, the Federation of Family Welfare Committees of Isabela City in collaboration with Mayor Al-Qaid J. Akbar, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) ? Isabela City Field Office (ICFO), civil society organizations, academe, informal sector and other public and private sectors, converged on September 12, 2017, and successfully conducted the Multi-Sectoral Coastal Clean-up Drive cum Mangrove Planting at Barangay Marang-Marang, Malamawi Island, Isabela City, Basilan Province, with the theme "Actors of Development: Caring Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow".

In support to the Green Our DOLE Program (GODP) of the DOLE and in line with the Family Welfare Program (FWP) dimensions such as: Environmental Protection, Corporate Social Responsibility, Spirituality or Value Formation, the activity was initiated and conducted to respond to climate change and mitigate its effects through coastal protection and rehabilitation, foster creative harmonious labor-management relations, and encourage community participation and engagement towards sustainable development.

The more than 200 various development actors who demonstrated their love and concern for the environment by sharing their precious time and resources in this event are: the Federation of Family Welfare Committees in Isabela City; the Office of Honorable Al-Qaid J. Akbar, City Mayor of Isabela City who sponsored packed lunch and snacks worth P50,000.00 for 200 participants and provided 1,000 pieces mangrove seedlings or propagules worth P3,500; Isabela City Public Employment Service Office; Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Isabela City and DXNO for the media coverage; City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) for the orientation on the proper way of planting the mangrove seedlings; the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the security.

Other partners who supported in the successful conduct of the above-said activity include the following: LGU- Isabela City Personnel; Isabela City Tripartite Industrial Peace Council (TIPC); Barangay Marang-Marang Officials; Academe (Supreme Student Council Officers of Basilan National High School); Civil Society Organizations (CSOs); Religious Sector (Prelature of Isabela, Daughters of Charity); Youth Sector; Isabela City Out-of School Youth Development Alliance (OSYDA); Informal Sector (TUPAD Beneficiaries, Aguada Fishermen Association); Coast Guard Volunteers; Labor Sector (Private); Basilan Electric Cooperative (BASELCO); United Workers Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Multi-Purpose Cooperative; ATS-PTS Cargo Handling and Other Related Services and other organizations and individuals who were instrumental in the success of this convergence activity.

The activity started with a short program: Prayer by Fr. Franklyn Floyd Costan (Christian Prayer) and Hadji Joser Tan Sanchez (Islam Prayer); Acknowledgment of participants and Rationale of Activity by the correspondent (Ms. Marlyn M. Anoos); and short messages from Ms. Maria Elena T. Alabata (DOLE-ICFO), Mr. Dusib Durapan (President of Federation of FWCs in Isabela City); and Hon. Jimnu L. Hamad (Brgy. Chairman, Marang-Marang).

Mr. Edwin L. Ignacio, FRNGP Team Leader of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Isabela City oriented the group on the proper way of planting the propagules.

To recognize the genuine support of the chosen barangay, a certificate of recognition was awarded to Barangay Chairman Hamad as a way of appreciating his untainted partnership to this endeavor.

Thereafter, mangrove planting and clean-up drive immediately followed.

The officers of the Federation of FWCs and the DOLE ICFO, together with LGU-Isabela City PESO Manager Ms. Rosella T. Luna, Barangay Chairman Hamad and some staff of the City Human Resources Management Office, convened on the same day for a meeting, to assess the activity. The assessment focused on what went well (Facilitating factors); what went wrong (Hindering factors); and ways forward. The purpose of which is to improve on how we do similar things in the future.

As an output of the activity, the mixed actors of the event drafted a consensus resolution on the protection, preservation, and rehabilitation of the coastal areas and the management of wastes, addressed to Sanggunian Panlungsod of LGU Isabela City for the enforcement of the city ordinance, if any, or creation of the same; and design holistic programs or projects with the involvement of the various actors of development to this effect.

In the the words of Rev. Father Costan, "Caring for our environment does not require any social mandate but we must do it out of LOVE".

(Marlyn M. Anoos ? DOLE Isabela City Field Office)