UP College of Law bagged first-ever Green Lantern Award in recent UP Diliman lantern parade
Press Release Date: January 9, 2023
For its clever use of leaves and other biodegradable materials to create a legendary red phoenix lantern, the University of the Philippines Diliman College of Law was conferred the Green Lantern Award by the University of the Philippines Diliman and international advocacy organization Oceana at the Parada ng mga Parol 2022.
“We were really happy to see so many of our units take extra effort to make their lanterns eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable, from the choice of materials – some were recycled, reusable, or even compostable – to the mode of transportation – whether mechanized or manually pushed forward. Especially in large events like this, where we generate so much waste, it’s so important for us as a community to keep sustainability foremost in our minds during these festivities,” said UP Men’s Basketball Team Captain Noah Web, one of the judges for the 2022 lantern parade.
Webb explained that the UP College of Law lantern, with leaves as its dominant material of production, stood out for its most innovative use of materials, and being a grand showcase of the UP fighting spirit.
Following the announcement of the UP Diliman Task Force on Environmental Sustainability to choose the Most Sustainable Lantern among the participating entries, the judges found the winning entry as the only lantern with almost fully biodegradable – some parts reusable – and therefore anticipates little waste left in the environment after tonight’s festivities.
With the theme “Bagong Tahak, Bagong Galak”, the lantern parade this year celebrated the determination shown by the UP Diliman community amidst the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The special Green Lantern Award is the first of its kind and is an offshoot of the Roadmap to Plastic-Free UP Diliman, an initiative to reduce single-use plastics for which Oceana is a partner.
“Oceana congratulates UP Diliman for continuing to champion the plastic-free movement, this time with the highly anticipated Parada ng mga Parol 2022, an enduring tradition for the UP Diliman community. What better way to kick off our partnership for the roadmap for a plastic-free campus than with this celebration that highlights the intellect, creativity, and resourcefulness used by the UP Diliman community in crafting this year’s lanterns,” said Oceana Vice President Atty. Gloria Estenzo Ramos.
The UP College of Law’s lantern won the first-ever Green Lantern Award, the special award for the most sustainable lantern in the recent Parada ng mga Parol 2022 in UP Diliman. Their legendary red phoenix that represents the burning, fiery hope which spreads light amidst the darkness stood out among the entries that incorporated elements of sustainability in the materials used. It is the only lantern that is almost fully biodegradable. The leaves were used to create the mythical creature—compostable and will not generate needless waste in such festivities.
“The journey to a plastic-free nation may not be easy, but it is within reach. Oceana will continue to support UP Diliman in its roadmap to becoming a plastic-free campus, a model in sustainability to inspire UP campuses, and other universities and colleges in the country,” she added.
Memorandum Blg. LMTB – 22 – 14, issued last December 15, 2022 by the UP Diliman Vice Chancellor for Community Affairs Luis Maria Bo-ot, encouraged participating academic units to make use of eco-friendly materials in the crafting, lighting, and parading of their lanterns which counts for 10% of the criteria for judging the winning parol for this year.
“Hinihikayat ang paggamit ng niresiklong materyales bilang paggalang sa kalikasan. Hinihikayat ang pagiging eco-friendly at paggamit ng mga alternatibong pagpaparada at pag-iilaw ng parol,” said Bo-ot, who also leads the 2022 Year-End Program Committee.
“Sa pagharap natin sa mga bagong hamong may pinayabong na pagtingin, pagpupunyagi, at kahusayang Tatak UP, baunin natin ang galak na nag-uugat sa pagpupursiging mapagtagumpayan ang takot at alinlangan. Ang kagalakan ding ito ang magsisilbing kislap sa ating kamalayan sa pagharap natin sa mga landas na ating pang sasalubungin at tatahakin,” he added.
Earlier this year, UP Diliman embarked on its community-wide campaign to become “a model of green and sustainable campus” following Chancellor Fidel Nemenzo’s issuance of UP Memorandum No. FRN-22-074 the Roadmap to Plastic-Free UP Diliman, a move supported by Oceana as part of its campaign to ban single-use plastic from the source. Oceana is an international advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans. Since 2014, Oceana has been working closely with national and local government agencies, civil society, fisherfolk and other stakeholders to restore abundance of Philippine fisheries and marine resources. (END)
