Care for the environment

Any news other than politics is most welcome at this time. It gives us a refreshing breather from the almost suffocating news pollution caused by too much political wheeling and dealing and acrobatic stunts of dirty old politicians still trying very hard to inflict their unwanted presence in our society. So let me tell you about another kind of news that may not merit banner headlines but is more invigorating to our environment in the real sense of the word. This is about certain people working behind the scenes and without fanfare to improve our natural surroundings. They are the ones who continue to inspire hope of a brighter and cleaner future for our country notwithstanding the pollution caused by our politicians.

Indeed, a problem almost completely ignored or taken lightly by our bickering politicians is the worsening garbage crisis in the national and local level. This is a crisis affecting almost everyone. It is about to explode at any time if not properly and adequately addressed what with the continuous industrialization, urbanization and the low level of environmental awareness and literacy among the rapidly growing populace. Fortunately, certain people in and out of government have been quietly but dedicatedly doing something about it. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, under its hardworking incumbent Secretary Elisea Gozun has really been doing its job to solve this problem particularly with regards to the environmental awareness and literacy. And more heartening is the all-out support coming from the private sector.

Undoubtedly, the most important steps in solving our garbage problem are the control of generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing and disposal of all matters discarded as useless and unwanted as a result of human and animal activities. These steps are otherwise termed as "solid waste management". They are the main subject of Republic Act 9003 also known as " The Ecological Waste Management Act of 2000". But even before the passage of this law, in the early nineties, a group of women and men had already been advocating some sort of solid waste management. I know because Mrs. Josie Sison, my wife, was one of them together with Judge Luz Sabas, Mrs. Juanita Abaquin, Ofelia Panganiban, Gloria Asprer , the well-known Ecological Artist, Odette Alcantara and a few good men such as Gonzalo Catan and Dr. Metodio Palaypay. During that time, they were already spreading the idea of segregating all discarded household and commercial waste into "nabubulok" (nab) and "di nabubulok" (di nab). Now our house has no more garbage problem and has become a gallery of beautiful recycled items. My wife is even planning to hold an exhibit of recycled arts and crafts sometime in February, this year.

More heartening is that these men and women in the private sector remained unfazed even if the efforts to articulate their idea seemed at that time to be a "voice in the wilderness". Their efforts apparently paid off with the enactment of RA 9003 providing for a more systematic and comprehensive solid waste management. They are now at the forefront of implementing the law through the non-governmental organization known as Zero Waste Recycling Movement of the Philippines Foundation Inc. with Luz Sabas as founding president and Juanita N. Abaquin as the incumbent president. This movement and the Earth Day Network Unlimited of Odette Alcantara provide continuing education seminars on waste management and technical training conducted at the recently -inaugurated National Ecology Center and Eco-House Learning on Waste Management. Their main thrust is to teach the people the three R’s which are at the very core of any solid waste management campaign – reduce, reuse and recycle.

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