HUMIDITY

Taken at La Paz, San Narciso Town, Zambales, Philippines

In my 47 years, this year so far is for me the most humid and hottest summer season the Philippines has ever had. 

Perhaps, we owe the humidity to the worsening climate change due to increased emission of carbon due to global warming, rising sea level and pollution that continue to destroy the earth's surface.

This worsening condition of the environment is also being exacerbated by the continued deforestation not only in the metropolis but also in the provinces and far-flung places in the country. Worse, the government is not taking concrete actions to replace those trees that were either cut legally and illegally logged. 

This was amongst the reasons why some of our people living at the tail of the mountains have been experiencing landslides and erosion. If these practices could not be prevented, in 10 years or so years the coastal towns and regions will eventually lose their land base. 

I hope that the Filipinos and the future leaders of this once great nation will not lose sight and truly protect the interest and safety of its people, environment and constitution amidst the political chaos due to the national and local elections. 

Thus, I call on our  presidential aspirants @bongbongmarcos, @iskomoreno, @MannyPacquiao, @Ka Leody De Guzman, @PingLacson2022 and @lenirobredo, whoever will win in this coming May 9, 2022 electoral exercise, I pray that please include in your priority programs the protection of our ecology and ecosystem while we still have time. I am among the more than 112 million Filipinos whose existence and living is largely dependent on this archipelagic country called Philippines. 

LEFT OUT

Photo credit to We The Future PH 

My heart goes to the indigenous people of the Manobo-Pulangiyon in Quezon, Bukidnon province. 

Recently, some members of the tribal communities were assaulted as they aired their concern about the land grabbing issue to presidential candidate, also labor activist Leody de Guzman.

The Manobo tribe of Mindanao were said to have originated from the early Malay inhabitants that came from the surrounding Southeast Asia islands whose primary source of living is agriculture. Despite the changes in the life, ecological landscape and interiors of Mindanao the Manobo communities have continued to adapt. But while these IP communities remain adaptable to changes they are also susceptible to advances.

Sadly, the local government of the province which was supposed to protect them was being alleged to be a party in assaulting them. On Tuesday, April 19, a shooting incident that lasted about 16-minutes has transpired at the group's ancestral land hurting at least five people as they discussed the land grabbing protest to Ka Leody.

Perhaps, it's about time that the government also include our indigenous people to what they call "inclusive governance" because they can also help in pushing the country's economy forward.

Maybe it is now necessary that we in the mainland should also consider electing someone in the national position who will not only recognize the indigenous tribe but will also protect them such as the likes of Teddy Baguilat Jr.

VOTE WISELY

The Philippines as a nation will once again show the world how far we have grown as a democratic nation. 

Photo credit to Inquirer.Net

With only 21-days before the national and local elections, Filipinos are once more divided due to partisan politics, disenfranchisement, poverty issue, education, religious belief, and hope to move forward our economy. Always, the question thrown at us is who is the better candidate?

If the majority of the Filipinos will choose a wrong leader, the roughly P13-trillion debt that the current administration has incurred for the country will surely plunge deeper. Thus, it will pull the economy into a slump which has a  domino effect in the prices of basic commodities, crude oil and gasoline, and electricity rates, among others.

The debt free cycle that the Department of Finance declared in 2016, as the borrowings of the national government were contained to domestic debts, which eventually resulted to credit upgrade as the end of the term of President Aquino will again be reversed, and will result in more and more foreign borrowings. While the Filipino people will take the responsibility of paying for the loans incurred by the outgoing and incoming government administrations.

I hope Filipinos would eventually learn to see beyond affinity, regional ties, and idolatry, and instead look closely at who will work sincerely for the betterment of the nation. I have been voting since I was in my teens from the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in the late 80s to the national and local elections in the 90s. Therefore, Filipinos of my age must have seen the characteristics of those candidates who are willing to serve versus those who want to be in power for personal gain.

Gising Filipino. Gising bayan. Let us work together and join hands to stop this kind of people who are always in the guise of servant leadership in "local and national leadership"  but in truth, they only continue to inflict harm on us by using our votes to further their interest. Let us choose wisely and stop putting wrong people in the government because in the end, we are all being forced to pay for their wrong doings because the majority of our people voted for them.