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Global warming is one of the major issues everybody must act upon. Unfortunately, this concern has been taken for granted for many years now, probably because we really do not feel the impact until everything gets worse.
Now that I’m in my 20s, I’m personally experiencing the rapid change in the environment. The temperature in the Philippines has been warmer and more humid now compared to last decade. Ten years ago, I was able to walk down the road without having any form of protection from the sun (e.g. sunblock, umbrella, cap, etc.). Now, umbrella is a necessity, and I do not let myself be exposed under the sun at its peak. I appreciate the sunblock now more than ever, because of the visible effects of the extreme temperature on my skin.
Low budget priority
Here in the Philippines, I am quite disappointed that DENR gets the second to the last priority in terms of budget allocation. I understand that the Philippines has a lot of more serious and immediate concerns, however, in the long run, all these are irrelevant when we no longer have the Earth to live in.
Unfortunately, the environment and natural resources have been sacrificed and compromised in exchange of embracing development and progress of a nation. Real talk: a lot of trees were cut down to give way to modernization (buildings, houses, roads, other structures), and as the population rises, natural resources become more scarce.
Weather reports can no longer accurately predict the start and end of rainy and dry season in the Philippines as a result of global warming. Our rainy season has become almost all-year round. Our country has been hit by various typhoons and super typhoon that almost wiped out an entire city.
Dear Mayor Estrada
With these realities, I am ending this article with a letter to Mayor Joseph Estrada. As a resident of Manila for 25 years, I am alarmed about global warming. As such, I would like the city to focus on three things that would help our city: waste management, smoke belching, and green buildings.
Implement strict waste management
I believe one of the reasons why Manila is easily flooded because of clogged drainage caused by improper garbage disposal. It would be beneficial for all of us if there would be a strict implementation of waste management such as complete ban of plastics and start using eco-friendly materials such as eco bags and paper bags, just like what other cities have been doing now (i.e. Pasig, Makati).
It would also help if Manila Bay will be totally garbage-free to serve as our city’s protection in times of typhoon and tsunami. It is true that discipline should come from ourselves first, but having an effective local government will make a big difference.
Stop smoke blechers
Jeepneys are the most common mode of transportation in the city. However, this also contributes to the vehicular emission that causes air pollution. Investing on the improvement of LRT and putting up bus stops all over Manila would lessen the dependence of commuters to jeepneys. However, there may be ethical issues here for the loss of jobs of the jeepney drivers. Addressing unemployment concerns, on the other hand, is another issue.
Build more green buildings
Most buildings and establishments in Manila have been existing for more than three decades now, given that Manila was once the major business district in the Philippines. Therefore, these buildings undergo retrofitting nowadays. I would suggest that developers better start using eco-friendly materials and start building and rebuilding in favor of the environment. It would save much cost in the long run, and it would promote a more conducive environment.
The author is an MBA student at the Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business. This essay is part of a journal she kept in fulfillment of the requirements of the course, Lasallian Business Leadership with Corporate Social Responsibility and Ethics. Visit her blog at https://mincanites.wordpress.com/.
The views expressed here are the author’s and do not necessarily reflect the official position of DLSU, its faculty, and its administrators.