We made it on the radio?!!
By: Maria Kristina Salientes
Our very own Maria Kristina Salientes was invited to speak on behalf of Project Ripples for a radio show in the Philippines. Here's how it went:
On the 5th of July, 2 P.M. Philippine Standard Time, a radio station based in Pantukan, Davao de Oro, Radyo de Oro – Dagan sa Kinabuhi, featured Project Ripples and the story of Diana Benedicto Jimenez, with a guest representing the project. The broadcast lasted for 3 hours and talked about how much the world can change if we all worked for the same good cause that inspired the 6-year-old Diana.
The guest introduced Project Ripples, the mission, and the vision. She emphasized that a ripple at a time can create a more significant impact that radiates from the small act that caused it.
"What encouraged and motivated Diana, how she is connected to the Philippines, in Pantukan?"
The guest told them about how Diana started when she was only very young with Diana's Angel Fund, how she came to know Angela from the Philippines (Read the tragic and inspiring story of Angela), and how Project Ripples earns money by recycling plastic bottles and soda cans. With that, Project Ripples has helped kids from remote areas in the Philippines with the help of good-hearted teachers.
Questions like "Can we do the same? Are we able to do the same?" were asked by DJ Jessa Rivero and DJ Tyronne Odac. The Philippines doesn't have the same commodities as North America; we cannot earn as much from recycled materials. However, we can recycle, reutilize, and reuse, and that's what matters. "We can start by eliminating littering" spoke DJ Ty, "We can start reducing waste at home and reducing waste that reaches the environment," said DJ Jess. As for the listeners who are the population of the municipality, especially children and the youth, the DJs gave a list of suggestions on how to help reduce waste that can cause pollution and "restore the balance of the ecosystem," according to DJ Ty.
A lengthy discussion followed concerning the science involved in recycling plastics. A single bottle of such material does not decompose until millions of years, but we have mountains of them dispersed around the globe. Recycling is our most vital deed to surmount it.