To intensify consumer education and encourage collective action on plastic waste, GMA and Nestlé Philippines signed an agreement for a joint campaign dubbed Kapuso at Kasambuhay ng Kalikasan.
Through this partnership, several Sparkle GMA Artist Center artists were invited to a Sustainability Workshop on solid waste management and ways to shape a waste-free future through their influence on Filipino viewers.
GMA Network’s Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications Angel Javier Cruz highlighted the importance of the Kapuso artists in influencing Filipinos’ environmental choices.
She said, “As our Chairman Atty. Felipe L. Gozon said, in this partnership, you will take on meaningful roles as ambassadors of change when you appear in the upcoming advocacy plugs or join the CSR activities. But before we do all that, we wanted to bring you together and share some of the best sustainable practices we all can do. So Dear Sparkle Artists: Sanya Lopez, Bianca Umali, Sofia Pablo, Allen Ansay, Anjay Anson, Kirsten Gonzales, and Vanessa Peña, you are here for a reason, as the faces and the heart of the campaign. You have the power to inspire and influence Filipinos to protect our common home. May you use your sparkle to make nature glow like never before.”
Nestlé Philippines SVP and Head of Corporate Affairs Jose Uy III, in turn, conveyed his gratitude for partnering with the network saying, “I’m very excited and it’s amazing that we are able to tie up with the leading broadcasting network like GMA here in the Philippines. With GMA’s reach, with your influence as an artist, I think we can be on our way to creating an impactful movement for our country. Let us start reducing, reusing, and recycling our plastic waste. Never ever think that you’re just alone because if we work together collectively, I think we can make a difference.”
The workshop was facilitated by multi-awarded environmental leader Anna Oposa, Chief Mermaid and Executive Director of Save Philippine Seas. She discussed the country’s waste management crisis and gave ways on addressing this such as the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Role) initiative, and supporting sustainability programs.
Sanya shared her commitment in doing eco-friendly practices at home: “Simple lang ginagawa ko pero I think nakaka-help siya. I segregate biodegradables from non-biodegradables. Also, ‘nung bata ako mahilig ako mag-plant kaya ginagamit ko uli ‘yung bottle na itatapon na. Pinipinturahan ko ito at ginagawang lagayan ng mga plant namin. Makakatipid ako kasi ‘di ko na kailangan pang bumili.”
Bianca expressed her view as an artist in promoting sustainability and waste management: “My role as an artist in the promotion of sustainability is the platforms and the voice that I am given. It’s more of being aware of how I will be able to use this platform and this voice to be informative and to bring awareness to the people who look up to me and support me, especially the youth. It’s a big responsibility to have that power, to be able to share and teach them my simple ways of how I help in sustainability. What we can teach them now, is what they will do in the future for us.”
For Sofia, the biggest waste we produce are plastics: “Plastics po, ‘yung mga bina-buy ko po sa mall.”
Anjay shared the same sentiments adding, “Ganun din po mga food packaging and face masks.”
Allen revealed that he repurposes trash as his way of saving the environment. “Nung highschool ako, lagi kaming nag-rerecycle ng mga basura. Gumagawa kami ng mga parol gawa sa plastic na basura.”
Aside from this, they also have an environmental tradition in their province. “Sa probinsya, every year lahat ng mga teenager, mommy at daddy, tulong-tulong maglinis. ‘Yung harap po namin sa probinsya is dagat and puntahan po kami ng mga nagbabakasyon kaya ang ginagawa namin, bawat resort nilalagyan namin ng mga sako para maiwasan ‘yung mga basura. Kasi tuwing nagkakabagyo, sa amin napupunta ‘yung mga basura.”
Meanwhile, Kirsten also shared how she can motivate others to practice these ways. “I think yung role ko po as an artist is to share information po. So being able to share it sa mga platform naming artist, we will be able to give meaning kung bakit namin ginagawa yung mga bagay for the environment po.”
Apart from workshops, the Kapuso at Kasambuhay ng Kalikasan will also include advocacy videos headlined by Sparkle artists, on-ground volunteer activities, and online environmental education modules.
