DURING our childhood days, I remember how we loved to catch dragonflies by their tails, only to set them free again. They were so many of them. At nights, we were fascinated by fireflies adorning the trees around us like little fairies with their lighted lamps.
We marveled at how pristine the creek waters were, so crystal clear we could even see guppies swimming. We loved to run around and play near that backyard creek!
I also remember how we used to trek cogon fields and rice paddies nearby. We brought our sling shots, in an imaginary pursuit of adventure inspired by the magnificence of nature around us. The air was so clean. There were so many birds, mostly the ‘maya costa’ species, flying by.
As years pass, I remember the mountains we went to, including Mt. Apo, Mt. Pulag and Mt. Kitanlad. These were sites beckoning to mountaineers and trekkers, too.
We also visited Mt. Arayat and the San Juan Baño trail at its foot. It was teeming with clear water and surrounded by pristine forests. It was the same marvelous sight to behold when we had vacation in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. As for Baguio City, we really enjoyed the fresh air then which always smelled of fresh pine trees.
I had a grandmother who owned a barn or ‘kamalig’ in Arayat, Pampanga. It was full of palay! As a child, I was thrilled by the sight of it! It gave me a sense of security that our family will never go hungry! I always believed all Filipino households enjoyed the same blessing.
Yes, our country had abundant supply of rice during those days. The local market then used to sell rice by the ‘ganta’ (approximately 2.25 kilos) and not by ‘kilo’ as they do today. Fresh fruits and vegetables were sold in bunches or bundles, while fish, shrimps and shells were mostly sold by clusters, called ‘ tumpok’.
Those were the good old days, the age of nature when healthy ecology was at its peak. However, as globalization and the development boom slowly moved in, our natural resources became some kind of a collateral damage.
Today, our garden thrives without dragonflies anymore. We see no more guppies in the creek that has turned so muddy. We seldom see birds in the sky. No fireflies adorn the evening anymore. Elsewhere, water sources either dried up, or become polluted.
In return to all the brouhaha of an economic development model the global leaders adopted decades ago, where is now that genuine ‘ progress’ and real ‘development’ that they assured the world of?
We have buildings and infrastructure all over, yes, but aren’t we running out of water and power? We have power failures and rotating brown outs in the Visayas and Mindanao and parts of Luzon. The water and electricity bills burden our consumers who are already struggling to make ends meet.
As I write this, the government has just issued a warning about an expected power shortage in Luzon next year. We have just been hit by recent typhoons Glenda and Henry. The affected areas, including Metro Manila, are still being restored back to normal. Being in the typhoon season now, we expect more typhoons to arrive in our country with more ferocity and strength.
Meanwhile, in the global scene, we hear war looming everywhere. There are reports about Russian missiles downing Ukrainian aircrafts. There were news about ‘drones’ (unmanned aerial military vehicle) killing people! As the Gaza and Palestine problems deepen, there are reports about the jihadist ISIS ( Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) actively fueling the inter-rebel conflict in the Middle East.
We hear news about successive commercial airline accidents taking lives of their passengers and crew. All these heartbreaking news as progress and development continue.
We hear of many Arab springs, as the war for water and resources worsens. We are running out of water -- the source of all life -- and yet they continue to embrace that old economic development model that never worked since the onset!
We have increased poverty. The world’s life style have become more materialistic, commercialized, stressful and poorer in quality. What has become of us and our planet?
What is to become of us with all these conflicts arising all in the name of oil and greed? What are our leaders doing? Who really cares about the Conference of Parties (COP 20) in Paris and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) if these do not help in mitigating and combating climate change?
While global leaders are lacking in foresight and action, the environmental culprits are having their heyday! They want to build more coal power plants. What a disgrace!
The miners are still extracting at an accelerated pace. BPH Billiton vows to lead the iron ore race.
These culprits, abusers and polluters try to outdo each other for the sake of a deflated piece of paper they call ‘money’! In return to catering to their insatiable greed, they leave us with a destroyed planet!
And our planet and people are dying. We have over two billion people living below the poverty line. Most are without access to water and sanitation. What is to become of them?
In drought-stricken California alone, their State Water Quality Control Board led by Felicia Marcus, confirmed in a report that everyone is expected not to waste water or else will be fined up to $500 a day for residents ‘who waste water on lawns, landscaping and car washing’.
How much longer will we survive as a people before the planet seizes to sustain LIFE?
We need to think of ourselves and the future generation. We all must plant trees, protect our forest and seas. Our daily lifestyle must always adhere to the ‘recycle, reuse and reduce’ principle. This must be cultivated in every Filipino household and in every learning institution.
We must go out of our way to encourage others to plant mangroves and tree seedlings. We must compel ourselves to have food security and be self-sufficient, resourceful and never lose the initiative. We must heighten the environmental campaign not only in the grassroots but in the higher strata of society and among our government leaders, who all must ‘walk-the-talk’!
Personally, how I miss the good old days when things were simpler, cleaner, more abundant. The quality of life was so high and people then were happier and healthier. Those were days when birds of various species would fly in the skies. Butterflies and dragonflies were everywhere, and the air was cooler.
It’s time to get what we deserve: a better home in a healthier planet. We need to do it all on our own and together we can make a BIG difference! I do believe in getting small acts together to overcome a bigger challenge. There are no options that work better than that.
What will become of us will be the signature of all our efforts today.
(By: Antonio M. Claparols – President ESP)