Nagsabog ng lamig ang araw
ang hangin ay maalinsangan
nagyeyelong pawis na bumalot
sa nanlilimahid at malagkit na katawan
ang sinag na umuukilkil hanggang
sa kaibuturan ng aking kalamnan.
mga dahong lanta'y ni hindi makangisi
at ang mga ilog-batis ay puno na ng galis
Kapaligiran ay iba na nga
Kalikasan kaya'y umaalma na
sa kalapastanganan ni eba't adan?
gising! mag-isip! kumilos!
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Last week, Countless Homo sapiens sapiens hypocritically celebrated EARTH DAY. Myriad forms of activities were undertaken to appease our abused planet. Concerts, Film showings, Marathons all in honor of Gaea.
I was able to attend EarthJam concert on T.Morato with friends who also genuinely care and appreciate the beauty, bounty, and anxiety of the environment. I personally went there to catch a glimpse of Giniling Festival. And I was not disappointed on that account.
The organizers cannot be faulted though. They have resource persons talking about what ills our planet. There were pictures and video clips MTV-style that strongly sends their message. The message that our planet is a planet in distress. That extinction of species are at an alarming rate, that global warming is real, and that our rivers are dying, and that our skies are already black from the fumes - the product of our advance civilization.
So advance that we take for granted our environment and the basic nourishment we derive from it. And how ironic that The Leaders of the most advance and developed countries remains adamant if not arrogant for disclaiming the palpable planetary degradation. They refuse to enact laws that will protect our planet. Bigotry at the highest level.
And with the gargantuan message the celebration tried to sell, Did the 'Mahaharot ng Pasig',
'Talipandas ng Tanay', 'Yakitiyakyak ng Nuninu' got the message? Would they act suddenly in reverence to Mother Nature?
I'm afraid the message fell on deaf and tûtûlè-full ears. Them the avril-avril-an wannabes.
Our NGOs and environmental groups have already done so much to the extent of straining their personal finances to be crusaders for our planet. And it is about time for our government to give their share. Laws are not enough, especially those crafted without teeth. We need laws that would punish companies and individuals who egregiously flouted the environmental statutes with devious disregard.
Many are hoping that someday, we will be able to swim our rivers which is teeming with life. Where the oceans have corals, whales and other colorful marine life. Where our sky is blue and a chorale of bird chirping happily. Where we can satisfy our thirst without fear of contacting water-borne diseases. And where our kids would have trees to climb on.
And I, too, hope that we will be able to reverse this pitiful condition of our planet. Hoping that future leaders would have political will to enforce reforms that would translate into results that would be favorable to our environment. HOPE.
