Travel as far as you can: A single step for us, a leap for the Earth

**Travel- is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations, and can involve travel by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, airplane, or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel can also include relatively short stays between successive movements.

When you’re a travel type of journalist, one may wonder if this journalist only travel and travel all the time. No, they’re not. They only want to explore some wonders of the world, but only here in the Philippines. “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” as they say. But can you still manage to say hose phrases if Mother Earth is dying? How would you travel if there are some reasons that cannot keep you travel full of success. How would you travel if the surrounding and environment is seeking for help?

As we can see, there are still many people who loved traveling at the different parts of the world. They are the one who is more likely to explore, like Dora the Explorer. At first, individuals like us are innocent that sometimes every little thing has to be explained broader to dig deeper knowledge. People may love traveling, yes. But you can’t blame yourself being a travel-type person, you didn’t only want to explore but to do your eyes a big pleasure to seek the wonders of nature.

photo of a new tall building that is under construction (near the office of MMDA )

Biking, wall climbing, rapelling, swimming and rafting. You can do all of these activities when you travel. These are the activities that make your body sweat and exercised. But how can you enjoy those if you knew that there are natural and also man-made calamities that are happening everywhere and anytime? How can you enjoy traveling if a tsunami, earthquake, flash flood, landslide and fire come along your way? Some of these calamities happened naturally and some are not. Man is the one that is responsible for it to resolve the problem. We need a change on our environment. And the change should start on each of us individual.

"Man has been endowed with reason, with the power to create, so that he can add to what he's been given. But up to now he hasn't been a creator, only a destroyer. Forests keep disappearing, rivers dry up, wild life's become extinct, the climate's ruined and the land grows poorer and uglier every day."

~ Anton Chekhov

Last Saturday, 12^th day of the month of October 2013, I’ve done interviewing Mrs. Corazon Jimenez, the General Manager of Flood Control Information Center (FCIC) of Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) with regards to the status of our environment in Manila today, most especially the topic with regards to flooding. I gathered factual information that can help each of us individual to start helping our environment. I ask her on what does she think of our environmental status mostly in Manila today and I also ask to rate it fro, 1-10, ten being the highest. She says that we are at rate number six out of ten. Because there is pollution everywhere.

Researcher's photo with an FCIC officer Mr. Eddie Garcia (inside the FCIC office of MMDA)

Environment today is slightly getting worst if we’ll going to compare it 50 years ago. But Mrs. Jimenez says that their department was having an urban draining that was mandated by our President Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III. There are also packets of gardens that they are fixing these recent days. Air pollution nowadays is over acceptable, and its reading is just over. Pollution should take only 50 air quality index, but we are having 110 air quality index. There are river waste disposals and silted garbage. Last October 11, 2013, they go to Marikina to check the project executed on the Marikina River, they target to finish that project within 3 years, April 2016 is the targeted date and river act will going to be studied.

"People blame their environment. There is only one person to blame - and only one - themselves."- Robert Collier

In her past experiences, and mostly all of us, considered Ondoy, a typhoon that attacked last September 2009, as the worst flood ever happened here in our country. It killed people in just a span of 4 hours. Then after the typhoon, there are 17 Local Government Units (LGUs) that take action plans being written. The MMDA invested on new equipments, they’re checking rivers and improving evacuation centers. It was done with the coordination of other Local Government Units. Easily flooded areas on Manila are Marikina, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela because there are creeks and retarding ponds there and also because of the informal settlers that tend to live in disaster prone areas.

photo taken when typhoon Ondoy attacked last September 2009 (photo credits to  FCIC office of MMDA)

Aside from having disasters like flash floods, there are still government units who manage to prepare some plans, programs and actions for environmental problems that are happening here in our country. In MMDA, they’re having rehabilitation, declogging, water waste management and there are 8 major river waste identified tending to make 20,000 families to evacuate. In DPWH, there are dredging of river wastes and esteros. In DILG, they’re having their recent campaign “One Day One Bay” according to the manager. It was headed by the former DILG secretary Jesse Robredo. It happens every other Saturdays, people are cleaning their barangays and waterways.

                          interview with the FCIC General Manager Mrs. Corazon Jimenez

 Pollution happens everywhere. There is air pollution, water pollution, land pollution and even noise pollution. But what are the causes why this phenomenon happens? One primary source of pollution in general is improper waste disposal. This reason contributes to air, water and land pollution. Improper throwing of garbage and rubbish, burning various materials and the like contributes to those different kinds of pollution.

Effects of pollution vary but leads to one word, Destruction. Pollution is a destructive phenomenon. It destroys our land, water and the air we breathe. It simply destroys our habitat. Respiratory diseases are so imminent because of high concentrations of particulate matter on the air. Rain water becomes acidic because of air pollution. Organic material from farm runs off the river, resulting to fish kills.

According to General Manager Corazon Jimenez of Flood Control Information Center of MMDA, the number one advice that she can give to us people is discipline, and discipline starts on ourselves and discipline by throwing our garbage into the proper trash bin. Second is by joining, being a part and cooperating on environmental advocacies like clean-up drive, anti-littering, anti-smoking and other advocacy campaign.

Nature has its own healing if we must help our mother Earth to cope up with the changes and to restore the equilibrium state of the Earth. Many cities approved to ban plastics and styrofoams to lessen the pollution and also to save our nation. Change should start on ourselves. We must act as one and make a single step for the Earth.

 

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Commission on Audit Releases Special Report on Status of State

 It takes time to find out how money is going through different hands. Many people are asking themselves, where does our money go? A simple question but it takes a slightly long time to find out the answer. Government has a vital role. It is to secure and protect the people and at the same time, the nation. Its primary goal is to protect them not only physically but mentally and not only mentally, but emotionally and financially. It is their duty to hear how the nation is screaming loudly about their needs.

 As what I have said, the government, as well as its branches and departments has the role to report what is happening to the nation as well as the whole country. And we, people have the right to listen and be observant on what's happening to their surroundings. Commission on Audit ave released its report about the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) that aims to help barangays and other areas that needs social help. From the term itself, the word Audit, means that they are the one who are responsible to create a computations and findings about what's happening to all the money given to senators. They reported properly the results on the pork barrel including tables.

 Those tables are stating about the means of a "soft project" and "hard project" that was made by the local government units or LGUs. Soft projects are those who cover small and non-infrastructure projects. Non-infrastructure project involves scholarship, purchase of IT equipment, medical equipment and medical assistance for valued patient on the barangays. Small project involves water system, irrigation facilities, barangay electrification and construction repair of jails and fire stations. On the other hand, there are also called "hard projects" which involves public work projects such as roads, bridges, flood control, school buildings, hospital, health facilities and public market.

All of those are somewhat can be called as the primary needs of the people. But sad to say, some of the project, even soft or hard project that has been scheduled to do and to finish remains pending most of the time. Not because there's no enough funds provided to raise the said project, but it is more on ignoring the fund as a tool for making project and spending it for their own sake. There are times that a leader of a barangay is not being considerate in terms of leadership, they're always making themselves as their first priority and does not prioritize the people inside the community. I can't hardly imagine that, most of the people pay their taxes. Big or even small value added tax is always there, but where does the money of an individual tax payer go? Many people were thinking that, "I pay the right tax, so I must received a good in return". It should be worth it because they pay for it.

 Moreover, people tend to imagine why do higher ranking officials are taking advantages to the community that they're serving? Not only as a leader, but as an individual they should try to put their feet on others shoes. Try to stand on other people's situation. Maybe we are all different on our appearance, having different class and being rich or poor, but we are all the same because we are human and we are individuals. We should treat each other equally and not being biased to other people on our surroundings. Try not only to prioritize ourselves but also the need of the people. Offices and officials of Commission on Audit (COA) did the right thing. They're good on evaluating the needs and the emotion on how's the senator and how they cope up on handling reports about financial status as well as the economy of the state. They did report on the things that are not commonly known by all and they serve the people right.

Disclaimer: This activity is for academic purposes only.