Eagle Scout Vince Dylan Visey of Laguna has been awarded among the 2019 Ten Outstanding Boy Scouts of the Philippines (TOBS) after convincing the San Pablo City Council to adopt a no-plastics campaign.
Visey was among the 10 boy scouts awarded this Friday morning at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila. The ten were chosen from among 26 National Finalists from all over the Philippines.
Visey was chosen among the top ten achievers considering their scholastic performance, achievements, and interviews.
The Southern Tagalog scout was also awarded yesterday as a Top 3 Finalist for the TOBS Special Awards for his “Say No to Plastic” project.
Among Visey’s achievements are his efforts to convince the San Pablo City Council in Laguna to issue a resolution requiring all fast food chains in the city to implement a “Day Without Plastic Campaign” scheduled to be launched on October 29, 2019.
The local council unanimously approved Visey’s proposal to support the Global Agenda in Protecting the Environment from Pollution Caused by Plastic Materials, in consonance with the International Coastal Clean Up Day. The boy scout was acknowledged and credited in the order for implementation for the restaurants to avoid using single-use plastics for dining utensils.
Visey had also submitted his project proposal to the Sangguniang Bayan of Rizal, Laguna through Vice Mayor Antonino A. Aurelio on how to prevent the clogging of plastic materials in canals, rivers and oceans which led to the adoption of a resolution providing for a “Food for Plastic Project”.
The Grade 12 student at the San Pablo City Science Integrated High School is also the school’s elected SSG president and was elected as the federation SSG president in the division of San Pablo. He also spearheaded the creation of the webpage, Giant Slayers of San Pablo.
Good News Pilipinas interviewed Vince Dylan Visey who refers to himself as an environment advocate, along with his family, helping his community in lessening the use of plastic.
“My dream is to have a zero waste plastic and it is possible but I know I can’t do it on my own,” Visey explains about why he decided to propose the project to the local government.
Instead of using plastics for eating utensils, Visey’s project encourages people to bring their metallic cups, straws, and other utensils to support the movement.
“Through this, I realized that I made a movement where the people has a role in lessening the production of plastic waste. It’s not just I who’ll make this project successful but the whole members of the city because we’re all customers everyday,” Visey added.
The young Visey’s father, Gani, talked to Good News Pilipinas about the leadership that Visey has shown at his young age.
“In spite of his busy schedule he still maintains his academic record and his service to God. He is regularly involved in our annual mission which aims to reach the less privilege communities like the Katutubong Aeta in Pampanga and Zambales,” recounts Gani Visey.
Vince’s father also recalls how the young Visey responded to the question in the TOBS regional selection about how he manages to do all his extra curricular activities, church mission, and academics. Vince Dylan Visey said, “Only by God’s grace.”
Various sectors in the Philippines have called for the elimination of the use of plastics and proposed alternatives. Among the initiators of environmental actions are Quezon National High School’s canteen serving meals on banana leaves and the Negros Wala Usik school canteen using bamboo mugs and coconut bowls.
Tawi-Tawi vendors are now using coconut leaves baskets for packaging while Cebu’s Plastic Barter Store trades food and goods for recyclable plastic waste, and Mactan-Cebu International Airport declaring itself a no-plastics airport.
The Liter of Light’s work, on eliminating plastic waste by using plastic bottles as bottle lights to provide lighting to remote communities in the Philippines and around the world, has even been recognized with awards and honors, while their project to use the same bottles as construction material have been recognized as Eco Friendly Architecture at the Architizer A Awards in New York
SEND congratulations in the comments below to the TOBS Awardee Vince Dylan Visey for championing environmental protection!
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