UPMV K9, Vanguard Makati push better health for people and pets

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



Hundreds of pet owners were able to avail of free medical checkups for themselves and free anti-rabies vaccinations for their pets at the recently-concluded Luntian at Pula held at the UP Diliman DMST Complex last June 29.

While the event was highlighted by the spectacle of hundreds of dogs and cats of all shapes and sizes lined up for vaccination, the organizers were keen to help event goers stay mindful of their health as well. Apart from the UPMV K9 Corps' anti-rabies drive, Luntian at Pula also hosted a full complement of services for the public, including free food, health checkups, reading glasses, circumcisions, and even a free legal clinic for legal consultations. For those in a giving mood, there was also a blood donation drive and a garage sale for charity.

“Through events like this, we hope to remind pet owners that their own health is just as important as their pets’, and that taking care of ourselves is one of the best things we can do for our loved ones,” said UPMV K9 Corps president Elah Tendero. “The UPMV K9 Corps is deeply indebted to the UP Vanguard community for the opportunity to join forces in this advocacy.”

Luntian at Pula was made possible by the UP Cadet Alumni Organization, UP Corps of Sponsors, UPMV K9 Corps, Serving Hearts, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, UERM Beta Sigma, UP Vanguard Gun Club, RiteMed, and JoeMag's. The highly successful vaccination drive was made possible through UPMV K9's veterinary partners, the Philippine Coast Guard Veterinary Service; Dra. May Rulibeth Legayo-Javier; the 105th Squadron 4th Division CGAD NCR; the Veterinary Student Achievers Society; and the Veterinary Education and Training Society.

Established in 2017, the UP-MMDA-Vanguard K9 Corps (UPMV K9 Corps) is a non-profit partnership between the University of the Philippines, the Metro Manila Development Authority, and the UP Vanguard Inc. To date, there are already close to a hundred volunteers and K9s in the program, with Batch 11 already in training.

To learn more about free dog training and/or to explore potential partnerships with the UPMV K9 Corps, follow and message https://fb.com/upmmdavanguardk9 or email upmmdavanguardk9@gmail.com.

Could we do the same outreach activities at our community? How can we organise a similar activity at our place?

Schneider Electric named the world’s most sustainable company by Time magazine and Statista

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Schneider Electric, the leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has topped the "World's Most Sustainable Companies for 2024" list by Time magazine and Statista. This recognition reflects Schneider Electric's ambitious goals to reduce its own emissions, but also the company’s commitment to helping its customers to become more energy efficient and reduce their emissions.

Both Time and Statista highlighted Schneider Electric's technological expertise and the Schneider Sustainability Impact (SSI) program. This transformative program drives and measures the company’s progress toward global sustainability 2021–2025 targets contributing to six long-term commitments that cover all environmental, social, and governance (ESG) dimensions. Among this progress, the company helped customers reduce their carbon emissions, with 553 million tonnes of CO2 saved and avoided since 2018. The company has also made significant progress in transforming its own supply chain. Carbon emissions from Schneider Electric's top 1,000 suppliers fell by 27% since the beginning of the program — and 21% of the company's most strategic supply chain partners have met Schneider Electric's decent work standards.

"We are incredibly honored to be recognized as the world's most sustainable company," said 

Peter Herweck, CEO of Schneider Electric. “This achievement is a testament to our unwavering commitment to sustainability, which is embedded in everything we do. We consider the environment, society, and good governance in our decisions and daily operations. That's why we're pushing hard to make even more progress on our sustainability goals and ensure everyone contributes to creating a positive and enduring impact”.

Schneider Electric was also recently included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the 13th consecutive year, ranked #1 in its industry and secured its place in the Europe index. This achievement reflects its strong environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, with sustainability at the core of its strategy.

Time and Statista used a transparent, multi-stage methodology to identify the world's most sustainable companies for 2024. The process began with a pool of over 5,000 of the world's largest and most influential companies. Following a four-stage assessment, the final ranking considered factors like external sustainability ratings and commitments, corporate reporting practices, and environmental and social performance indicators. This comprehensive approach produced a ranking of 500 companies from over 30 countries.

Schneider’s purpose is to create Impact by empowering all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability. At Schneider, we call this Life Is On. Our mission is to be the trusted partner in Sustainability and Efficiency. We are a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Anchored by our deep domain expertise, we provide integrated end-to-end lifecycle AI enabled Industrial IoT solutions with connected products, automation, software and services, delivering digital twins to enable profitable growth for our customers. We are a people company with an ecosystem of 150,000 colleagues and more than a million partners operating in over 100 countries to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We embrace diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful purpose of a sustainable future for all.

BAN Toxics urges public to opt for plastic-free reusable bags

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In celebration of International Plastic Bag Free Day, environmental NGO BAN Toxics calls on the public to minimize the use of so-called reusable eco-bags made from plastic materials such as polypropylene, polyester, and nylon. The group also emphasizes the need to further promote a culture of reuse.

International Plastic Bag Free Day began as a grassroots initiative to address the growing problem of plastic pollution. First launched by Zero Waste Europe and other environmental organizations, it designates July 3rd of each year to raise awareness about the environmental impact of single-use plastic bags, encouraging the adoption of reusable bags.

"While reusable bags have become commonplace in grocery and shopping markets to reduce single-use plastics, another emerging issue is how frequently these bags are actually being reused. If many of these reusable bags are made from synthetic polymers and treated as single-use, are we really addressing the plastic pollution problem?" BAN Toxics Policy Research and Development Officer Jam Lorenzo said.

A study published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) recommends that for reusable bags to have a lower impact than single-use plastic bags, they should be used a sufficient number of times:

Cotton Bags: 50-150 times
Paper Bags: 4-8 times
Reusable Low-Density Polyethylene Bags: 5-10 times
Durable, Non-Woven Polypropylene Bags: 10-20 times

BAN Toxics notes that currently, there is limited data on the extent to which plastic-based reusable bags are reused versus wasted. Nonetheless, the group encourages the public to consider choosing traditional and biodegradable alternatives such as ‘bayongs’ made from dried ‘buri’ or pandan leaves, bags made out of water lily, abaca, and rattan, or canvas bags.

“A critical change in behavior among consumers, retailers, and producers is needed to further instill the reuse culture. Reusable bags may be considered a stop-gap measure to address plastic pollution, but if we don’t actually reuse these items, we're just replacing single-use plastics with another type of waste,” Lorenzo said.

Plastic pollution has surged alongside the growth of plastic production, with single-use plastics now comprising 50% of total production. Studies indicate that global production has risen sharply from 1.7 million metric tonnes in 1950 to approximately 400 million metric tonnes (by polymer) in 2022, and projections suggest it could double once more in the next two decades.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources - Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), the Philippines generates 61,000 metric tons of solid waste daily, of which 12 to 24 percent, or about 7,320 to 14,640 metric tons, is plastic waste.

Meanwhile, a recent statement by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) projects that the country’s daily waste could increase to 194,138 metric tons by 2055. This projection is based on the average waste generation of higher-income and developed countries, using the latest population projections by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Plastic waste management in the country is governed by the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 9003), which is supplemented by the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023–2028 and the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022 (Republic Act No. 11898). To date, at least 489 out of the country’s 1,634 local government units have passed a local ordinance banning single-use plastics.

BAN Toxics notes that despite these mechanisms, greater steps are needed in terms of effective implementation and stakeholder engagement. The group also believes that new laws promoting the reduction of plastic production and consumption, as well as the adoption of more sustainable alternatives, are still necessary.

“Plastic pollution remains one of the biggest threats to human health and the environment, and we can only address this by reducing the production and consumption of plastics, especially single-use ones,” the group concluded.

Last April, Lorenzo participated in the fourth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment. BAN Toxics is advocating for a plastics treaty that adopts a full-life cycle approach to addressing plastic pollution and prioritizes substantial reductions in global plastic production. The fifth INC session is scheduled for November 25 to December 1, 2024, in Busan, Republic of Korea.