Pinoys are ‘rich’ yet hardly aware of it

First, the good news. The Philippines is one of the world’s richest in terms of biodiversity. When it comes to species diversity, our country has around 15,000 kinds of plants, 254 species of reptiles, 578 species of birds, and one of them, the Philippine Eagle, is the largest in the world.

The bad news is, most Filipinos have a low awareness of the amazing biodiversity richness in the Philippines. This was revealed by a February 2005 survey commissioned by the Haribon Foundation to measure public awareness on biodiversity. Haribon Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been at the forefront of environmental campaigns for the past three decades.

Conducted by Taylor Nelsen Sofres (TNS), the survey covered 300 respondents in Metro Manila, mostly from class C homes and within the age range of 16 to 30 years old. Class C covered the upper and broad middle class, meaning, their homes and lifestyles reflect a comfortable living and the capacity to indulge in more luxuries. The survey was also administered to 180 respondents in Occidental Mindoro, Antique, Surigao, and Cebu.

Respondents who claimed to be aware of the issues concerning biodiversity failed to provide a full definition of the term. In fact, only 17 percent of the respondents in Metro Manila are aware of the concept of biodiversity.

"While most of the respondents give priority to issues such as waste management, biodiversity conservation however is low on their list. This is a very sad fact considering how rich our biodiversity is compared to other countries," said Haribon executive director Anabelle Plantilla. "Some respondents defined biodiversity as the difficulty in coping with the various events in the country; while others associated biodiversity with the strength or weakness of the human body."

Biodiversity refers to the totality of life forms and the areas that they occupy. In short, biodiversity is life. It is biodiversity that provides humans with food such as fruits, nuts, grains, etc., clothing from cotton and shelter from the various natural products of the forests. The continued protection and preservation of biodiversity in our country also translates to our continued survival and safety as a people. Our forests can purify our air and provide us with clean water.

"This is the reason why Haribon launched the ‘Ang Paraisong Pinaka…’ campaign," said Plantilla. "We want to call the attention of a wider number of Filipinos and tell them that our country’s forests, seas, rivers, caves, and other habitats are home to riches and wonders beyond compare. We are privileged to have this wealth living among us and we should strive to protect it." Plantilla added that it is not just the forests that are rich in biodiversity, even the country’s waters are teeming with life.

"Our natural heritage, as rich as it may be, is being degraded and destroyed. Beyond political intrigues and maneuverings, the loss of our country’s real wealth may be something we better be alarmed about," stressed Plantilla.

Knowing these information is not enough, she stressed that there must be action. "It means that Haribon and other environmental groups will have to work harder. First, we have to raise awareness, then hopefully, it will make more people move into action and take the plight of our environment."

Haribon Foundation needs all the help it can get. For more inquiries on its advocacies and projects, call the Haribon Biodiversity Hotline at 433-3474 or log on to www.haribon.org.ph.