It’s summertime and the heat is on. One can feel it building, the waft of warm air into the nostrils heading straight to the lungs. Clothes becoming heavy and skin sticky with sweat, there’s a burning sensation. The Philippine summer is upon us. Here in the metro, the malls have become the usual respites from the heat with their massive air-conditioning systems spewing mechanical cold breaths for the chill fix of city and rural folk. But even before the advent of these convenient mega-structures, there has been a place up in the North that has been sheltering Filipinos from the ravages of summer.

It is a “monumental” day for the Earth this April 22 as the concerned citizens of the world will be converging for the 42nd staging of Earth Day. This special day for the Earth was created in 1970 through the initiative of former senator Gaylord Nelson with the help of other driven individuals like former congressman Pete McCloskey and Denis Hayes. Its inaugural rallied 20 million Americans out in the streets to have their voices heard concerning the environment. The number grew as it became global in 1990 with over 200 million people spread across 141 countries collectively lifting the environmental issues that were plaguing the planet. Now, the number rises to 500 million in 175 countries. This is the voice of the people of the Earth, unaffected by cultural and geographical barriers, letting the sectors around us—businesses, governments, etc.—know of an ardent desire for change and realistic action with how we treat Mother Earth.