Blog Action Day 2009: Climate Change
When I was an Environmental Science major two things stuck to my mind: an anecdote and a quote. Our teachers always told us the story of two frogs. One frog was put on a pot of hot boiling water and the frog immediately jumped out of the pot. The other frog was put on a pot of cold water in a pot and the temperature was slowly turned up until the temperature was high enough to kill the frog without the frog noticing it.
The experience of the first frog is the one a lot of us have experienced the past few weeks. Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng hit us so hard that we had a knee jerk reaction to it, realizing that in a few minutes our lives, our loved ones, and our properties could be lost in an instant. But what we do not realize is that we have also been like the second frog. Slowly, our environment, our home, has been changing but we have been too busy, too complacent to notice it.
It took us two typhoons to realize that “hell yeah, the wrath of Mother Nature can really kill us.” The next time it happens, sad to say, we might not be so fortunate. The next calamity might not spare any of us, not even us who are typhoon-free here in Davao City. A scarier thought would be if it would not be a calamity but a series of unnoticeable, seemingly insignificant events that will lead to our death. The time to care and take action is now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not when the situation is very much desperate already.
Filinvest vs The Davao City Council
Filinvest Land has taken a shot against the Davao City Council for allegedly favoring Ayala Land. Filinvest has complained that the council has been dragging its feet in approving Filinvest’s request for land reclassification even though it has fully supported Ayala Land’s plans in the city.
What Filinvest fails to point out is that their request is to reclassify a land located over an aquifer. And the reclassification is to convert the land from a “Protected Low Density Residential Zone” to “Protected Medium Density Residential Zone.” This request has already been denied by the City Council citing the importance of preserving the area as one of the main sources of tap water of Davao City.
Davao City Targets 70% Reduction in Solid Wastes
As a city known for landmark legislations for environmental protection, Davao City is now aiming to reduce its solid wastes by 70%
. The proposal of the executive department, represented by the City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) is now awaiting the approval of the City Council.
Important Issues for the 2010 Philippine Elections
While the US Presidential Elections are already heating up with caucuses, debates, and rallies everywhere, the 2010 Philippine Presidential Elections is also starting to get serious attention on the internet via the Filipino blogosphere.
Right now, the media has given a lot of focus on the selection of candidates, of both the administration and the opposition (not to mention the many others in between). Meanwhile, Janette Toral has tagged several bloggers to tackle the issues they feel should be included in the 2010 Agenda.
Off the top of my head, I can easily point out several, no, many issues that should be in the agenda of the candidates. But I feel like there are some that should be given more attention. Right now, here’s my short list:
- Environment
- Social Welfare and Health Care
- Local Government Code and IRA
117 Environmental Courts
The Supreme Court has declared 117 trial courts as “environmental courts” that will be dedicated to cases that involve violations of laws protecting natural resources. The designation of these courts are aimed at speeding up the resolution of environmental cases. Moreover, the personnel of these courts and the appellate courts will undergo training to handle these cases.
Some of the laws that will be concerns of these courts are the Fisheries Code, the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, the Coconut Preservation Act, and the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act.
Another TRO on the Aerial Spray Ban
While the Regional Trial Court already declared Davao City’s Aerial Spray Ban as valid and constitutional, the Court of Appeals has now issued another Temporary Restraining Order on the ban.
What is the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Protecting?
The mandate of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) obliges it to be the “primary agency responsible for the conservation, management, development, and proper use of the country’s environment and natural resources.” Furthermore, the department is to have these objectives:
1.) Assure the availability and sustainability of the country’s natural resources through judicious use and systematic restoration or replacement, whenever possible;
2.) Increase the productivity of natural resources in order to meet the demands for forest, mineral, and land resources of a growing population;
3.) Enhance the contribution of natural resources for achieving national economic and social development;
4.) Promote equitable access to natural resources by the different sectors of the population;
5.) Conserve specific terrestrial and marine areas representative of the Philippine natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations.
PBGEA Appeals Aerial Spraying Ban
The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) is now appealing the Regional Court’s decision on the constitutionality of Davao City’s ban on aerial spraying. PBGEA contends that the ban makes their plants susceptible to the Black Sigatoka Disease. They also argue that the ban will eventually lead to the death of the local banana industry.
28 years old from Davao City, blogging since 2004. :)
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