Long before the sun rises in Quezon, 54-year-old Noel Feliciano is already in the kitchen, preparing a warm, healthy breakfast for his daughters, ages 11 and 14. It’s a quiet routine—but for Noel, it’s one of the most meaningful parts of his day.
“I really want to be the one who prepares their food,” he says with a quiet smile. “That way, I know their stomachs are full and that they’re eating healthy before they leave for the day.”
It might seem like a simple gesture, but for Noel, caring for his daughters is deeply connected to the work he does beyond their home—nurturing the next generation of young environmental advocates.
Noel is the Project Coordinator of Project Greenlight, a community-based initiative under REINA Federation and ChildFund Philippines. Project Greenlight brings nature and people together to build resilience. It uses Ecosystem-Based Adaptation and Nature-Based Solutions—such as reforestation, coastal protection, and nature-smart farming—while giving youth meaningful roles in protecting their communities from environmental risks.
In his role, Noel guides children and youth through activities that help them connect with nature and understand how their everyday choices affect the world around them. But this commitment to caring for people and the planet didn’t begin in a classroom—it began in the aftermath of a storm.
In 2004, Typhoon Winnie devastated parts of Quezon, bringing torrential rains and flooding that uprooted lives and livelihoods. Noel witnessed the destruction firsthand. Like many parents, he was shaken by the experience.
That moment changed him. It revealed just how vulnerable their communities were to environmental neglect. And it raised a question he couldn’t ignore: What can we do so our children won’t have to go through this again?
Since then, Noel has been actively involved in ChildFund Philippines’ Environmental and Community Resilience and Sustainability (ECRS) program. Through it, he works on ecosystem restoration, sustainable practices, environmental education, disaster preparedness, and local solutions rooted in community participation.
Noel believes that when children understand what’s happening around them, they grow up more mindful, more engaged, and more caring—both toward others and the natural world. As a father, he hopes to pass these values on to his own children.
“Taking care of the environment is part of how I take care of my children,” Noel says. “If I want them to grow up safe and healthy, I have to help protect the world they live in.”
“Whenever there’s a training or activity, I bring them if I can,” he adds. “I want them to learn the same things I teach other children. I want them to grow up knowing how to care for people and for nature.”
When he’s not leading sessions with youth leaders or coordinating community activities, Noel finds joy in gardening at home. He tends to his plants with the same patience and care he brings to parenting and community work—nurturing things over time, knowing that growth happens quietly and steadily.
His daughters watch him closely. They see the way he packs their meals, how he treats others with respect, and how gently he works the soil. They are learning not just from what he says—but from how he lives.
Fathers like Noel don’t always seek attention. But in every seed planted, every child guided, and every small act of care, they leave a legacy.
This Father’s Day, we honor Noel—and fathers like him—who show that caring for family and caring for the earth can start with the simplest of choices, done with love, every single day.
