For days, thick clouds of darkness have enveloped Metro Cebu which appeared like a doomsday bomb ready to explode on us any minute. It is quite eerie, and not of the ordinary. At first I thought it was just those nimbus clouds ready to splatter rain in the metro but the past few days has not really been that wet as I expected it to be. It was totally different.
Then came reports that haze has entered Cebu coming from the thick forest fire that occurred in Indonesia. Geographically, Indonesia is near the Philippines but quite a distance from our province. It is nearer to the provinces in Mindanao such as Zamboanga and the others. There has been no clamor of them complaining about haze, I wonder.
Still the myth of the "haze" has been going on. Even our weather agencies have been suspecting the same thing but no confirmation from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. It could be, but I doubt it. I'd like to think that this is all made by man. To sum it up in one word: pollution.
Cebu is booming in terms of industries and business, but along with this development comes the consequence from the increases in people, cars, and waste which all lead to pollution. It is becoming the mini mega Manila in just a few snaps of the fingers. I could personally attest to the pollution that has been going on in our metro. One could not enjoy a jeepney ride without having to cover one's nose and mouth. The smell of the air is different and it is more humid than it is supposed to be.
We point our fingers at a reason that heeds a possibility but we never admit to the faults that we make. Have you ever thought about your habits as you go on with your daily grind in the metro? Do you place your garbage inside proper bins, lessen the use of electricity and water, and or take note of your car's emission? I doubt it. Who cares, right? These utilities that we all enjoy are given to us at our free will, as long as we can pay for it. Little do we know about the many natural resources that are suffering because of too much use.
What we have right now could not last forever especially that the development for renewable resources is very slow. It seems that the world is addicted to energy sources that deplete easily. Instead of making use of what could be utilized, we opt for those that could slip off our hands in any minute. It is quite an irony especially with movements left and right that lobby for energy conservation.
This crisis has been going on since time immemorial. We keep on saying that fossil fuels won't be there for too long yet we continue to usurp all that we have. Soon we will be experiencing a drought that is projected to continue until next year. Our water sources are not stable as it is supposed to be. There is less rain that we have been experiencing before and the rain produced is not even safe to at least take a good shower in.
Our environment gives us ultimatum but we do nothing. Man has been too harsh and yet we continue to tolerate his doing. I don't know what it would take for a people to return to ways that would not harm the environment. I guess this is the price we pray for modernization. Well, it's not too late to do something, it never is.
Let's stop pointing fingers at reasons that could be far off. Look at where we are and do something. Realize that there is so much we could change if we are determined to do so. I long to breathe fresh air again, not just for me but for the next generation, too. Wow, that song by Asin just got real.