IT IS typhoon season once again in the Philippines, and most are still reeling from the tragedies brought about by last year’s typhoons. Two months from now, it will be a year after “Ondoy” wreaked havoc in the country, with the death toll reaching 688 and the cost of inflicted damage amounting to an estimated P15.5 billion according to official reports. “Ondoy” caused the destruction of not just houses, buildings and roads, but it also destroyed the lives of many Filipinos as they found themselves dealing with the tragic loss of family members, friends and loved ones.
Along with the devastation brought about by the disaster came stories of hope, heroism and the Filipino’s world-renowned resiliency as many went out of their way to help those in need and be good Samaritans; even the less fortunate did not think twice of helping out those who were affected by the floods. It was these stories that people found consolation, even for a short time. And while the whole country collectively dealt with the pain, the reality was not easy to put aside, as a United Nations statement described “Ondoy” as “a slapping reminder of an elephant that has long been ignored.”
While it cannot be denied that the effects of “Ondoy” wouldn’t have been as terrible had the government did their job—ensuring proper waste management to prevent clogged drain ways and proper drainage of water reservoirs, warning the people at the right time and providing them with the correct safety measures—the experience was a wake-up call to all of us: It’s time that we realize climate change is a serious matter.
Filipinos everywhere took heed and now, they are more aware than ever of how to do their part to save the environment. People are now more keen in recycling, using recyclable products like reusable bags in grocery shopping and saving energy by unplugging unused appliances at home. Many groups and agencies have been formed to support environmental causes. Projects, fundraisers and campaigns are constantly being launched to promote environmental awareness, some government-assisted, some private. Two of the most recent campaigns which were a huge success were “Earth Hour” in March, where lights were turned off for a whole hour and where 15 million Filipinos participated, and former US Vice President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore’s visit to the country in June where he gave a talk attended by a record number, urging Filipinos to take a stand on climate change..
There are also companies who are determined to build products that are safe and friendly to the environment like the E-jeepneys, which are innovative electric-powered passenger vehicles, which recently started plowing the streets of the country’s leading business district, Makati City. A similar transport system built to address rising oil prices and air pollution problems, the E-scooters, are being manufactured in Subic Bay Free Port for export in Japan. The operations of an eco-friendly courier service where deliveries are made by messengers on bikes have gone full-blast, earning a mention in media outfits. Last week, environmentalists have urged the Department of Education (DepED) to look into the program which would require the teaching of “Zero Waste” to students so there will be “a formidable army of earth-loving Filipinos who will shun wastefulness, including the irksome habit of mixing, littering and burning trash.”
Even property developers now are setting aside significant areas of their development for open space and greenery. Others have made it a point to start pet-friendly establishments. Even vanity has taken a backseat to “green love,” as many cosmetic products now use natural ingredients to avoid harming the environment. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has also launched the “Adopt-a-Wildlife Species” program last July 12 where at least 1,000 species threatened with extinction such as the Philippine Eagle, tamaraw and pawikan are up for adoption and people can join the program by directly implementing a wildlife-convservation project, by providing the necessary funds for a new project or by donating funds to an existing species-conservation program.
In Gore’s Oscar-winning documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, he states,”All the triumphs and all the tragedies, all the wars all the famines, all the major advances… it’s our only home. And that is what is at stake, our ability to live on planet Earth, to have a future as a civilization. I believe this is a moral issue, it is your time to seize this issue, it is our time to rise again to secure our future.” The “Ondoy” tragedy may have struck us hard, but now we have risen and now we are securing our future. (AJPress)
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( Published July 16, 2010 in Asian Journal Las Vegas p. A6 )
