Earth Day 2005 headed by Ayala Foundation, Inc. in this year’s theme: “Promoting ESWM Through Multi-Sectoral Collaboration” has shown its remarkable success in building alliance of all sector of our community to celebrate Earth Day.

Together with its partners such as the Makati City government and the Makati Environment Foundation, Inc. made everything possible to come up with substantial activities in cooperation with the Ayala Center Association (ACA), Liga ng mga Barangay, Ayala Properties Management Corporation (APMC), Makati Commercial Estate Association (MACEA), Department of Education-Makati, Ayala Land, Inc., Makati Environment Youth Advocacy (MEYA), Makati Business District Council (MBDC), Management Association of the Philippines, Rotary Club of Makati, Manila Water Corporation and Barangay San Lorenzo made Earth Day Makati shine among other cities and places in Metro Manila.

A series of events from April 18 to 23 was held to commemorate the annual Earth Day celebration and also promote the advocacy on ecological waste management, recycling and environmental stewardship to the whole of Makati City. The big event was opened last April 18, Monday at the Glorietta 3, Mass Area, Ayala Center, Makati City with a short yet meaningful ceremony with special guest of honor, Hon. Jejomar Binay, the city Mayor of Makati, Hon. Casimiro Ynares III, Assistant Secretary of Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Ms. Marivic E. Añonuevo, Group Head of the Corporate Business Division and Vice President of Ayala Land, Inc., also Mr, Roland Young, the president of the Makati Environment Foundation, Inc. and Ms. Odette Alcantara of Earth Day Network gave their warm welcoming speech followed by Ayala Foundation’s Buklod Bahayan Kids for an intermission number of a dance interpretation. The opening ceremony was really a well celebrated for everybody especially for Makati because it was first time in the history that all thirty-three Barangay Captains of the city were gathered with the Mayor in one celebration. In addition, these baranggays together with MCBD business and commercial establishments, junkshop partners in the Linis Ganda and Earth Day exhibitors were given a recognition of certificates and plaques for their invaluable contribution for the event and their continuous support to the Solid Waste Management program. A ribbon cutting was held after the ceremony to open the exhibit with this year’s theme : ‘SWM Best Practices and Recycling Technology’ of thirty-three barangays, 12 schools of DepEd, five from partner organizations and four from the recycling industries that exhibited their programs, successess and products. The four-day exhibit from 18 to 21 also showcase demo activities from the schools and from Zero Waste Recycling Movement and an Ecology mass organized by Ayala Foundation, Inc. and Ayala Center Association.

One of the major activity was the Tree Planting Program held at the morning of April 22 in Brgy. Valenzuela, Makati City organized by the Division of Environmental Services of the City Government. The site was along the Pasig riverbank called Linear Park was graced with a band and parade from the people of Brgy. Valenzuela and guest , former city Mayor and chair of the clean and beautification program of Makati, Dra. Elenita Binay. This activity was opened with a culmination program and a symbolic tree planting of Palawan Cherry an endemic flowering tree that was planted by all Makati’s major partner organizations and also named after them. This activity is a symbolic planting of partnership that dream Makati to be a model city and center of bird watching site of Metro Manila. Part of the vision is to have planted the ratio of one tree to four person from 471,379 population and the city will be free from pollution, with clean water and air, sustainable, livable, and healthy community amidst of its abounding economic and technological progress.

AFI in its faithful commitment in holding Earth Day and advocating Ecological Solid Waste Management has expanded its perspective by joining an alliance of recyclers and private sectors to established a common goal that is to “reduce, re-use and recycle”. The Recyclables Collection Event was born four years ago and continued this year held at the Corinthian Parking, Legazpi St., Makati City last April 23 in coordination with the Makati Commercial Estate Association and Philippine Business for the Environment. Our partner recyclers for this year are the Trust International Paper Corp. (TIPCO), the San Miguel Corp. PET Recycling Project, HMR Group of Companies, ZKK Foundation, Inc, Philippine Recyclers, Inc or PRI, 21st West Trading, YGARC Trading Corporation and the Polystyrene Packaging Council of the Phils. Aside from the redemption of recyclable materials, there were also exhibits from Manila Water Company for their display of water waste suction mobile equipment and a new model vehicle by Ford Motors Corporation. These will not be possible without our sponsors from Nestle Philippines, San Miguel Corporation, JARAM and Toyota Motor Philippines that served us with our refreshments and tents during the event.

After the whole day of buying and redeeming recyclables from establishment and households of Makati, a culmination program to close the day was held with greetings and remarks from President of Makati Commercial Estate Association, Mr. Cesar Campos, Mr. Tony Chiong from PPCP, Mr. Rox Peña from TIPCO, Ms. Marivic Añonuevo from Ayala Corp., and a message from Hon. Elisea Gozun, Chair of the Earth Day Network Phils. and former Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. There is also an entertainment given by Makati Polytechnic University Pep Squad for their astounding dance number then followed by the awarding of certificate of recognition to the recyclers. This year’s Earth Day has again invited more partners to get involve and be a part of saving waste for more useful end thus, the result of the Recyclables Collection Event has shown that we have collected and redeemed a total of 3,787.3 volume of recyclables worth P 128,295.41. The figure showed us that there is really a huge amount of money in waste and is beneficial in many ways especially for our environment.

Earth Day has opened doors for new opportunities and has strengthen the advocacy of expanding ESWM not only to commercial and business establishments but also to local government, other non-government and small communities. Therefore, the work of Ayala Foundation Inc. will continue to expand by making Earth Day a live everyday.