After the successful cleanup drive at the Las Pinas Paranaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) last October 22, with Sparkle artists, GMA7 employees and Nestle Ph, GMA and Nestle Ph announced in a presscon in Quezon City yesterday, the launch of Kalikasanovela series: Advocacy of GMA and Nestle Ph to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle to save Mother Earth.
The battle and the challenge to plastic neutrality, and addressing the large gap in the Solid Waste Management (SWM) that includes the complete cycle in the proper disposal of plastics that includes Recovery, Segregation, and Recycling. The World Bank says, Globally, the Philippines generated around 2.7 million tons of plastic waste every year. Our country ranks as one of the highest rates of mismanaged plastics that results to ending in landfills.
During the media event, Nestle Philippines and GMA Network inks partnership for Mother Earth, to properly follow Reduce, Reuse and Recycle in promoting Solid Waste Management (SWM), through their educational program, KALIKASANOVELA starrring SPARKLE artists to be viewed over their network.
GMA and Nestle Ph made four 30-seconder videos to help educate the public as Filipinos love for entertainment and storytelling. This videos help to show the importance of the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, to make everyone to be part and be a steward to save Planet Earth.
“Today marks a milestone as we launch Kalikasanovela, a fusion of our love for storytelling with our love for the environment. It is our belief in GMA that we need a concerted and cooperative effort to save our Earth and keep it livable. This is why our partnership with Nestle is very significant for us. With our complementary strengths and the same vision, we hope to encourage as many Filipinos to be more responsible in their everyday living and be kinder to our environment,” said Angel Javier Cruz, Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications of GMA Network.
Each Kalikasanovela episode makes use of a well-loved Filipino movie and TV series genre to tell a short story about plastic waste. It also shows Nestlé PH’s initiatives and milestones in addressing the plastic waste crisis, including upcycling sachets into school chairs, reducing plastic in their product packaging, collecting and diverting over 60 million kilos of plastic waste from the environment, and educating its employees to reduce, reuse, and recycle plastics in their homes.
In celebration of Earth Day, GMA Network and Nestlé Philippines launched the Kalikasanovela last April 17, 2023, wherein– together with Sparkle artists Bianca Umali, Ruru Madrid, and Sofia Pablo who starred in Kalikasanovela episodes Katok, Ibaon, and Sirena, respectively talked about their experiences and learnings from participating in the project.
“As artists, it’s our responsibility to use our platforms influence for good, especially when it comes to matters concerning the environment. Being part of the Kalikasanovela series is my way of doing this—by helping spread awareness about the plastic waste problem in the Philippines,” said Bianca Umali.
For Ruru Madrid, it’s not enough to just talk about these advocacies, you also have to practice what you preach. “Understanding that if all of us will do small acts to reduce, reuse, and recycle can have a big positive impact on the environment. I know we can do it. We just have to start now.”
“Instead of using single-use plastics when I eat out or shop, I bring reusable items to reduce my consumption,” Sofia Pablo shared. “There are many alternatives to single-use plastics that are readily available in the market from water bottles and utensils to shopping bags. It’s up to us to make that choice to help our planet in our own little ways.”
Other SPARKLE artists who starred in the series include Sanya Lopez for Paalam, and Allen Ansay for Sirena. You can watch all Kalikasanovela episodes on GMA 7 and the digital platforms of GMA and Nestlé Philippines.
“We thank GMA Network for sharing our vision of a waste-free future. Our goal for the Kalikasanovela series and this partnership as a whole is to inspire more Filipinos to be part of the solution in addressing the plastic waste problem even in ways as simple as reusing, reducing and recycling plastic waste. We have to remember, tayo ang bida sa ating kwentong pangkalikasan. Together, we have what it takes to create a better world and shape a waste-free future for our children and for generations to come,” said Jose Uy III, SVP & Head of Corporate Affairs of Nestlé Philippines.
Last year, 400 GMA employees, including SPARKLE artists, joined sustainability workshops, and volunteered in coastal cleanup and tree growing activities together with Nestlé PH employees and other partners such as the Climate Change Commission (CCC) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
