9 people, 3 destinations, 1 goal: To Do Good and Get Dirty.
Love to travel? So do we! But wouldn’t it be great if you can combine your love for travel and do something good for the community at the same time?
This is why Green Cross and Rajah Travel Corporation have teamed up to bring together a group of people whowill get up, get out, and make a differencethroughthe“Do Good, Get Dirty” campaign. We asked people from all over the Philippines to send an Instagram video telling us why they should get a chance to do good and get dirty in a 4-day challenge to one of the three destinations: Palawan, Sarangani, or Dumagete. In the end, 9 volunteers prevailed.
Watch snippets of their trip here- https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=486445261496002
Meet the Teams
#TeamPalawan
#TeamPalawan, or #TeamTamilok as they like to call themselves, is composed of best friends Nadine Layon&Jhelie Cruz, and actor & TV host Mikael Daez. The three volunteers flew off to Palawan to aid in the reforestation efforts of one of Palawan’s national treasures: Mangroves.
Mangroves actually play a huge role in Palawan’s eco system by acting as homes and nurseries for fish and other marine life; but because of human development, mangrove populations are decreasing and threatening its inhabitants.
Environmental issues aside, their journey also brought about lots of fun and exciting experiences like ziplining in Sabang, tamilok (woodworm) tasting, and an up close and personal meeting with Mac-Mac: the biggest, baddest crocodile in the Palawan Wildlife and Conservation Center.
Follow their journey here - https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=487877511352777
#TeamDumagete
Web designer Tim Santos, pharmacist and part time instructor/lecturer Louie Legaspi, and VJ/blogger Janine Ramirez join in on the community coastal cleanup in Apo Reef.Apo Reef Marine Sanctuary is home to over 600 documented species of fish and 400 species of corals and known as one of the most successful community-run marine sanctuaries in the world.
During their stay, the team was fortunate enough to have caught the Buglasan Festival,Negros Oriental's "festival of festivals", a weeklong celebration filled with dance competitions, float parades, and native products. They also got to zipline across the Valencia forest camp, dared cliff diving, and jumped off a waterfall.
Check out their action-packed adventure here -
#TeamSarangani
Meet team Sarangani: Vince Golangcco, founder and publisher of wheninmanila.com; Celine Reyes, part time professor teaching HR management; and Yzai Alvarez, a PE teacher.
Not only did they conquer their fear of heights in the highest zipline in Asia (it was 600 feet above ground!), brave the rapids while white water tubing, and met the talented weavers of T’boli, they also planted hope at the Mt. Matutum National Reserve.
Rampant illegal logging activities and land clearing for farming developmentis slowly killing the forest. In fact, only 3,000 hectares of the 14,000 hectares of this national reserve remain to be made up of old-growth forest.
Watch #TeamSarangani in action –
You Can Help Too
These three teams went on this journey not only to help the local communities but also to inspire YOU to go out and do the same. They, together with Rajah Travel and Green Cross hope to continually inspire voluntourism so that you not only take home Instagram worthy pictures or souvenirs from the places that you visit but also leave a legacy of hope with the people that you meet.
So what are you waiting for? Grab a group of friends and Do Good and Get Dirty!
