Why Gina Lopez matters?
Gina Lopez was in Cebu a few weeks ago to help the rehabilitation of the Butuanon River in Mandaue. While she is an ex-DENR Secretary after failing to get the confirmation of the Commission on Appointments, she is still a factor and a force to reckon with in the environmental/ecological issues facing the country. She is part of the group trying to revive the Pasig River enough to have fish again in that river, and she continues to speak up and mobilize sectors to push for responsible mining all over the country.
The current environment/ecological condition of the Philippines is already in bad shape and will get worse if no corrective measures are done. Our forest cover is some 30 percent with the reforestation efforts just barely keeping up, but not increasing even with the logging ban. The major rivers are dying, with heavy siltation as the denuded mountains wash down to the rivers. There is also over extraction of sand and gravel in the rivers which leads to flooding the lowlands and the residential areas. The river sand and gravel which act as the "natural dams" are used as building materials and the national and local governments allow this mining or are turning a blind eye to this practice. These and the bald mountains precipitate landslides, lessen the recharge of the aquifers which sinks the freshwater tables and allows saltwater intrusion. Then, of course, we have the dirty seas and shores. The air pollution is still not as bad as India and China, but is heading in the same direction.
Some 55 years ago in our town, me and my and friends would go hunting in the mountains and walk through forests full of trees. Wild guavas and other fruits were available for the picking, and birds, reptiles and monkeys were common sights. We would get water from the rivers to cook and drink, and there were even river fishes. I still go to the mountains, but the rivers are now dry or the waters brown. We also use to jump into the sea from the seawall in front of the Plaza, and cast a net or a fishing line just about 100 meters from the shore, and gather shells and small octopodes during low tide. Now and then, I've stopped sometimes when I pass the area, and all I see are garbage, plastics, debris, and assorted waste that will not allow aquatic life to survive.
As MCWD Chairman some 20 years ago, we walked the length of Escario/Gorordo river from the Escario bridge all the way to the source of the river at the top of the mountain. It was a long walk that lasted a day, but at the last spring which we presumed to be the highest source, we could drink the water. Two years ago, I was in Auckland, New Zealand, and I had read that the rivers in New Zealand are so clean that you can drink the waters from the streams. So, when the tour bus made the mandatory stop, I went down to one of the streams and took a sip of water. It was really clean water and it did not make me sick.
What needs to be done and why does Lopez matter? Individually and as a group we should not contribute to the destruction of the environment. We should conserve, preserve, repair, recharge, and recycle. Help increase people's awareness about environmental issues. Support people who are passionate about the environment, support Lopez's environmental/ecological advocacies, and elect Lopez for senator if she runs in 2019.
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