A Call to support the Environmental Conservation and Protection

by: Engr. Bonzenti R. Panganiban, CE, REA, REB

A Call to support the Environmental Conservation and Protection must now be put into full swing, not only in Boracay but anywhere else. It can also be happened here, in Malaybalay City.

I extracted this short article which was posted by the Philippine Business on October 7, 2010., which read as follows in full text just to reflect on it;

Saving the white beach.

The boracay is one of the finest travel destination here in the philippines. But now it can turn into a not so good destination because some of the tourists going there are not caring about its environment so it is going to be destroyed little by little.

But some private corporation and non-government organization together with the local government of aklan are setting a program to help save the white beach, Boracay Island. It will be called the Boracay Beach Management Program (BBMP) and was launched last September 25, 2010. This will settle all the concerns and problems of the white beach including the environmental issues.

The president of the Boracay Foundation Inc., Loubelle Cann said that the Boracay Beach Management Program (BBMP) will be focusing on costal resource management, watershed management, solid waste management and water waste management.

If they can prevent the destruction of the white beach it can attract more and more tourist and can create many job and business opportunities.

The Petron Corp., Petron Foundation, San Miguel Corp., Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and Boracay Island Water Company are the partners of the local government and some government agencies such as Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Tourism.

This program will surely help to save the white beach and improve it so that it can attract more investment and tourist.

This is my simple reaction on this short article.

A Call to support the Environmental Conservation and Protection Program must now be put into full swing, not only in Boracay but anywhere else. It can also be happened here, in Malaybalay City.

A week ago, St. Johns School and St. James School of Science and Technology of Malaybalay had their outreach program. The program has to do with environmental awareness and consciousness for all students from Grade 3-6 up to the high school level, thus, "environment played a vital role in human race, especially for future generations". Hence, basically these must be conserved and protected.

The task was to clean the whole periphery of Kaamulan Theater, the creek side and the surroundings. One student recalled it to me after they were done with the cleaning activity and said, ”Tito Bon, there are lots of littered garbage, styro foams, candy wrappers, sando bags, etc within the periphery of the Kaamulan Theater”. The boy further recalled by asking me that, “why are these people Tito Bon were fond of throwing their trash anywhere?” First, I was amazed with the Boy, speaking with straight English, but I was struck with his question, Why are these people were fond of throwing their trash anywhere?. This triggers me to write this reaction/reflection in connection with the boy’s question and the above cited article about the BORACAY.

We all know what Boracay was before it was developed by so called “Developers”. And hopefully, we should also know where Boracay should go if it will not be conserved and protected. A total environmental DEVASTATION IS THE RIGHT DESTINATION.

Awareness in environment protection and conservation must not only be limited in classroom activity and must not be confined even in our respective Offices. This must be reinforced through proper implementation and shall be started at our respective Homes, then in School and anywhere else.

Eventually our children could make it into habit that throwing of trash should properly be DONE in designated bin, by leading them. Like candy wrappers, if it has no available trash can around, our PENNY POCKET is the first best option, then throw it later to the next available trash can while on your way to your destination.

Malaybalay City has no remarkable site to be called as tourist spots, except of the few acceptable sites and the so called “COOL CLIMATE”.

Do we need to wait to become like Boracay? Do we need to wait that our environment be worsen like what had happened to Boracay now? Tourists are just visitors and they just come and go. If they care with the environment, they should observe proper waste disposal. If they’re not, the caretakers will have a bunch of work to do, to clean the leftovers (litters/garbage). Like The Kaamulan Festival, at the end of the event, the sweepers will then be busy cleaning all the garbage thrown by the spectators. Others would tend to say, “leave that to the sweepers, so that for the next day, they will have some work to do because they are paid for the work they are being hired to do”. Some people’s words reflect their personality and their practices at home because that’s what their heart and mind is saying.

I might compare this in our respective homes, in some occasions or parties or even a simple gatherings. Let me expound by citing an example, like Japan, or in some Asian Countries, where visitors always remove their shoes and retain their socks before entering a house. This is because they respect the household in maintaining the cleanliness. Isn’t it an interesting practice? If they can do it, why we Filipinos, can’t do it? If we will not remove our shoes or use our slippers inside the house, the dirts will then be the next problem after you leave that house by the one who entertained you, who gave you drinks for refreshment, some crunchy snacks for your stomach, etc. Again, our mentality reflects our personality with this kind of practice. Of course, the household could not dare to tell you this, “Please leave your slippers or your shoes at the doorstep”.

I will not talk any more who introduced to us these obnoxious practice, but all I remembered, when I was a kid, I will always leave my slippers at the doorstep before entering anybody’s house and even our respective houses. Let us just follow, what is proper and right and what we have been practiced when we were a kid in our respective homes.

This is what had happened to Boracay. Tourists paid no respect being as visitors. Do you want it to happen in our respective homes? Malaybalay is our home since we are a kid. A second home, as migrants and tourists, or even as transient only.

How would we attain the sustainable development if we will not act today? Sustainable development is not only limited in some areas like food production but it also focuses in environmental protection and conservation, as a whole. THINK ABOUT IT, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. GARBAGE WE THROW ANYWHERE, RETURNS BACK TO US WHEN CALAMITIES COME. "SAFE KA NA BA"?

Lastly, some people would think that lowlands are the ones who are always affected with flood, like CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY. Why is it that Kalilangan, Bukidnon which is 3,000 feet more or less ABOVE SEA LEVEL, just recently, was ill fated with flood? Why there are more migrants coming into the uplands today? THINK ABOUT IT, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE. GARBAGE WE THROW ANYWHERE, RETURNS BACK TO US WHEN CALAMITIES COME. "SAFE KA NA BA"?