ACT TODAY, RESTORE TOMORROW: SLSU-FAS Holds Virtual Seminar on Climate Crisis and Ecosystem Conservation

The Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) of Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) holds a culminating virtual seminar for its Science, Technology, and Society (STS) course on May 13, 2025, coordinated by Frances Nicole S. Espinosa, RCh. The event is themed "Act Today, Restore Tomorrow: Facing Climate Crisis Through Ecosystem Conservation."

Resource speaker Ms. Aliah B. Agulto, MSc in Environmental Science, delivers a lecture on the interconnected relationship between ecosystems, climate change, and human society. She introduces the Ridge-to-Reef (R2R) ecosystem approach, explaining how terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems are linked through ecological processes such as water flow and nutrient transport. Using local examples, she notes how deforestation in upland areas can trigger soil erosion, which eventually damages coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs. This reality is particularly relevant to communities in Southern Leyte, where Typhoon Odette in 2021 serves as a stark reminder of the region's climate vulnerability. 

Ms. Agulto also discusses how unsustainable human activities intensify the greenhouse effect and accelerate global warming. These include industrial operations, fossil fuel combustion, and land conversion. The consequences range from prolonged droughts and stronger typhoons to rising sea levels and disrupted food systems. She underscores that climate change is not only an environmental issue but a social, economic, and political one as well. She calls on students to recognize their role in the solution, from responsible waste management and energy conservation to using social media platforms to promote environmental awareness in their communities. 

Participants from the classes of Ms. Adel Gaudicos, Ms. Yancy Dayola, and Ms. Daisy Rose Sanoria engage actively throughout the session. The seminar closes with a message that echoes its theme: the climate crisis demands collective action through science, technology, and society working together, because the decisions made today determine what future generations inherit tomorrow.