Enigmata Bio Art Attack

“I am the CHANGE, I want to see happen in my universe”

The greatest failure of the human race is the failure to manage its own waste. We have reached an unfathomable level of imbalance with nature. We failed to co-exist harmoniously with life which has caused us irreparable damage to nature and to humankind. Earth on the brink of collapse and deterioration has reached a challenging moment for mankind to respond to the urgent call for healing and restoration. This is insane how we go on with unsustainable lifestyles that exhausted the environment. We have to do something about it. The garbage within has manifested into mountains of dumpsites. Looking at this scenario is depressing but somehow there has to be a graceful way out of this.

The Philippines being the epicentre of marine biodiversity in the world and being a cradle of endemic flora and fauna of at least half of its number has the potential to start with. However, not even half of a century has passed but the original growth forest has been reduced down to only 6% that left us with little hope to survive the global crisis. Manila is out of the question of being the perfect example of a dying Metropolis that never learned its lessons. All dumpsites in Manila has now been closed and if they are still dumping, it has to be in the seas.

While the other parts of the world has developed high technology waste recycling processing systems, we have resorted to the basic concept of changing our basic lifestyle. Changing from within.

Camiguin takes a pro-active side before its too late.

The youth and children as the hope for the future are taking the lead in the transformation of the community for environmental consciousness. We start small, like a drop of water in the ocean, in the same way, Camiguin being a small island can make a big difference. The campaign for Plastic-Free Camiguin has evolved from its proclamation as a provincial ordinance in the year 2000, into a school slogan that has now penetrated in the classrooms through the collaboration of Enigmata and Department of Education for a massive environmental education to elementary and high school students.

Opening the eyes of the youth to their relationship and responsibility towards the great diversity of the web of life has not only inspired them but has moved them to commit to the cause of Saving Mother Earth.

In a small volcanic island of around 292 sq.km. where I now live, we have over 74,000 people throwing plastics everyday which could end up in the dumpsite or in the sea. A provincial ordinance was passed in the year 2000 declaring Camiguin “A Plastic-Free Island.” This campaign has inspired us to launch a project in environmental education through recycling arts.

Enigmata artists in partnership with the Department of Education has initiated a massive campaign for a plastic-free Camiguin. The YES-O (Youth for Environment School Organizations) has been organized and formally named as YSAVE Camiguin (“Youth Society Advocates as Volunteers for Environment”) during the 2004 Camiguin Youth Earth Camp. Since last year, extensive environmental workshops has been conducted by Enigmata volunteer facilitators which has reached around 5,000 children and youth from primary school children to college students. We launched environmental concerts, ecology forum, initiated classroom advocacy through the Citizen’s Welfare Training Service among college students.

Camiguin has twelve thousand elementary students, around eight thousand high school students, nine thousand out-of-school youth and two thousand college students. These critical mass is a good number that inspired us to focus on environmental education which is critical to a growing popularity of this island as an ecotour destination.

We envision a strong network of children and youth volunteer task force to implement practical environmentally sound projects in their own locals and schools. This is the mission of YES-O/ YSAVE Camiguin Youth Volunteer task force (organized during the 2004 Earthcamp last year) for environmental conservation, protection and preservation. We wish to make every school a Material Recovery Facility where students learn to segregate, reuse and recycle discarded materials as a practical way for proper solid waste management.

As a follow-up activity, in line with the campaign and advocacy for a plastic-free Camiguin, the Department of Education in cooperation with Enigmata Creative Circle, Inc. on its second year wish to conduct 2005 Youth Earth Camp on October 12-14, 2005 for 300 elementary and high school students and teachers/adviser coming from 13 high school and 62 elementary schools. The earth camp is not the solution but part of the extensive process of re-educating the minds of the young to strengthen their values for loving, caring and learning with nature.

A leadership training and biodiversity workshops will be part of the highlight of this year's projects. To top it all, a classroom-to-classroom environmental education workshops will be conducted to three colleges, 13 high schools and 62 elementary/primary schools around the island.

We can only learn by experience and teach by example. This is our way of educating our young generation, so we can assure them of a brighter future.

Enigmata Creative Circle, Inc was organized out of genuine altruism. The members are all volunteer artists who espouses excellence in creative expressions that nurtures the human spirit and nature. We are all artists, and the greatest gift to us human beings are the beautiful hands that can extend our humanity in great magnitude. These are the hands that can either destroy or make us. We choose to co-create by educating people through the arts. It is the untapped energy in the human mind and heart, the power within that opens the soul. Enigmata means to OPEN YOUR EYES to the essence of life.

We are professionals, passionate, creative and responsible to you and to the world.