To take a proactive response to the call of Pope Francis’s Laudato Si, University of Santo Tomas administrators, faculty, support staff, and alumni are invited to participate in this yearly care for environment activity. The UST SIMBAHAYAN Community Development Office annually conducts its Community Service Day every January, in commemoration of the feast day of St. Thomas Aquinas, the University’s patron saint, which falls on January 28.
This year, the Community Service Day – Coastal Clean-Up and Nature Walk Activity was held at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) on January 25, 2020. The event commenced with an orientation by DENR-NCR Strategic Communication and Initiatives Service Officer Mr. Dexter Villa. It was followed by a short opening message by UST SIMBAHAYAN Community Development Office Director Prof. Arvin D. Eballo, Ed.D. After the brief program, the coastal clean up took place. It was participated in by 53 administrators, faculty, support staff, and an alumna of UST. With the joint efforts of Thomasian participants, a total of 89 sacks or 592 kilos of garbage were collected on that day. Following the coastal clean-up was the nature walk activity which featured various mangroves and eight other plant species in that 30-hectare land.
By virtue of R.A. 11038 or the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018, LPPCHEA is now considered part of the National Integrated Protected Areas System (R.A. 7586) and is currently called the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP).
