RAFI awardees to use cash prize for tree nursery, project expansion

To preserve the environment, one does not need  high educational attainment but the task requires a high degree of passion and love for nature.

These characteristics are manifested by self-made environmentalist, Rene “Tatay Ete” Vendiola, a high school dropout and former kaingin farmer who set up a woodland in Liptong, Negros Oriental, that preserves local fauna and species of plants and native trees.

For his effort in biodiversity conservation and forestation in Bacong town, Negros Oriental, Vendiola won the   Ramon Aboitiz Award for Exemplary Individual during the 5th Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Triennial Awards last March 22 at Marco Polo Plaza in Cebu.

For Vendiola, he was not competing with the other four finalists—two priests, a peace promoter in Mindanao and a former Boy Scout master.

“Ang RAFI nangita og tukog sa lukay nga hugpungon aron mahimong silhig. Gihimo mi sa RAFI og silhig. Sa among pagkasilhig, kami ang mogamit sa among nahibaw-an aron makatabang sa atong komunidad (RAFI is looking for ribs out of coconut leaves so that when grouped together, they form a broom. We, the finalists, are formed by RAFI into a “broom” so that together, we could use our knowledge and help our community),” he said.

Vendiola told the radio program “Pagtuki” last March 24 that he felt like crying when his name was called because it was his first time to get an award. “Pagtuki” is the official radio program of RAFI aired over radio dyLA every Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Vendiola received a trophy and a cash prize of P440,000, which he said will be used to build his dream endemic trees nursery.

The Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF) bagged the recognition as the Eduardo Aboitiz Awardee for Outstanding Institution for their efforts to uplift the lives of many women.

NWTF, an organization that provides capital to poor women to start small-scale business, has been providing livelihood opportunities through its program called “Project Dungganon” (dungganon is Hilagaynon or “honorable”).

Its executive director Dr. Cecilia del Castillo was sent to India to learn the Grameen credit system, on which the program is based.

“We did not publicize our work. We just did our job. The people we helped are those who have little opportunities in life. They are the ones who really need our help,” said Manuel Margate, NWTF client service department manager, in Bisaya.

He said NWTF will use the P440,000 cash prize to expand and improve the Project Dungganon to help more poor people.

The RAFI Triennial Awards was launched in Dec. 6, 1996, during the 39th anniversary of the foundation to commemorate the philanthropic, humanitarian and holistic ideals of RAFI founders Don Ramon Aboitiz and his son Don Eduardo Aboitiz. The awards program is now on its 15th year this year, which is also the 45th year of RAFI.

For more information about the RAFI Triennial Awards, contact Cathy Margate at 418-7234 local 105 or visit www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.