Zonta Club of Laguna expands youth engagement and climate action

In a powerful display of education-driven empowerment and environmental responsibility, the Zonta Club of Laguna, Philippines, launched two major recent initiatives: the formation of four Z and Golden Z Clubs across local schools and a climate justice project that transforms election tarpaulins into school chairs for typhoon-affected students.

On 30 May, the club marked a major milestone by officially partnering with four educational institutions in San Pedro City to launch three Z Clubs and one Golden Z Club. The schools include Calendola National High School, San Antonio Integrated National High School, Pacita Complex National High School and Our Lady of Assumption College of Laguna. The initiative aims to foster youth leadership, social awareness and service engagement from an early age.

The clubs are designed to cultivate a new generation of leaders—thoughtful, capable and socially responsible. With the support of District 17 Z and Golden Z Clubs Committee Chair Dr. Lourdes Almeda Sese and a dedicated team of Zonta members, the newly launched clubs will implement programs on gender equality, youth development, skills training and advocacy.

Simultaneously, the Zonta Club of Laguna joined forces with JCI Damas de San Pedro and Plastic Flamingo to launch an eco-conscious initiative that turns used 2025 election campaign tarpaulins into recycled school chairs. The project supports Project Flamingo’s typhoon recovery effort in the Bicol Region, where public schools are still using makeshift furniture in classrooms damaged by Typhoon Kristine.

“This initiative is a reminder that waste isn’t waste until we waste it,” said Jam Santos, President of JCI Damas de San Pedro. Collected tarpaulins were delivered to a recycling facility to contribute to the production of 5,000 plastic chairs for underserved schools.

Club leaders visited a recipient community in Bicol, where they witnessed firsthand the resilience of students continuing to learn amid limited resources. The experience deepened their resolve to combine youth empowerment and climate advocacy into one united movement.

“From political campaigns to environmental campaigns, we are proving that every end can be a new beginning,” said Congresswoman Ann Matibag, Immediate Past President of JCI Damas de San Pedro and current President of Zonta Club of Laguna.