The UP Sunken Garden was filled up with nature lovers,music enthusiasts ,students, government and private sector representatives and concerned artists with one goal! That is to unite and fire up this year's celebration of the Philippine Environment Month.

The day started with various exhibits around the stage area .A wide variety of food stalls were likewiseavailable to serve the crowd. At noontimeheavy rains started to pour and threatened the event .But at exactly 3 pm, the heavens opened with the blue skies hovering over the hundreds of participants who were joining the symbolical human “leaf" formation to manifet this year’s global theme “Connecting People with Nature”. It was going to be a good day after all.

Dubbed “A FAIR WITH NATURE”, the event is presented by the Environmental Management Bureau of DENR, Office of QC Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, the University of the Philippines and is organized by Earthday Jam Foundation,Inc. This is their first collaboration .

“I am truly excited for our Foundation to be part of this unique undertaking. We are one in this relentless campaign that aims not only to educate people about the state of health of planet earth, but get everyone to do their fair share in the global fight to save this planet for our children’s future, the next generation” Lou Bonnevie, President of Earthday Jam Foundation answered when asked why she was involved with the event.

At 5 pm, program started with the actual human formation and inspiring messages from UPofficialsChancellor Michael Tan and Vice Chancellor Nestor Castro with DENR Assistant Secretary Mitch Cuna and EMB-DENR and Chief of Environmental Education and Information DivisionEllen Basug. The EMB Infographics awards followed suit with winners from all over the Philippines. After which celebrity bands andsingers performed for a rolling night of live music, campaigning for the preservation of Mother Earth and its resources.

Opening performances came fromUP’s homegrownroster of artists :UP StreetDance Club, UP Dance Company and UP Integrated PEP Squad. Thereafter ,Bayang Barrios segued with her brand of world music usingindigenous instrumentssuch as agong and kubing integrated in her band. She capped her set with singing the environmental anthem ”Kapaligiran” with Lou Bonnevie . Lou Bonnevie proved her mettle as a veteran pop-rock icon spelling classic rocks tunes like“Come Together’ and “What A Wonderful World” andcreatively twisting it to make it her own. She finished her set with a rousing original self penned song entitled “AnoAngNangyayari?” that got the young crowd thinking.

Alternative bands Autotelic,Mayonnaise and Chicoscigot the audience to their feet, unmindful of the muddy grounds. Meanwhile, EbeDancel, a UP alumni, serenaded the crowd with his popular compositions. One of the highlights of the program was when hosts Midi Gentica, Pam Nieva and Roxy Montealegreintroduced the much awaited VIDEO of the actual human leaf formation shown at the huge video walls .

Kudos to overall director Toto Gentica with special thanks to GSIS ,The Joy of Public Service ,Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, DPWH , Manila Water ,Maynilad,Sembrant , Siddcor,MMDA,DPOS and David’s Salon . For more info on upcoming events , email earthdayjamfoundation@gmail.com, like the FB page of Earth Day Jam Foundation and log on to our website: www.earthdayjamfoundation.com.