After the Sendong (Washi) onslaught, I relied heavily on google for information about the mammoth flood dubbed the strongest in the world for this year. It interests me to look into the underlying causes of the massive flood and I am not taking the God’s judgment route. I want to look at the cause and effect, sow and reap factor of the flood. I think I am warranted to write about this considering my electives in terrestrial Biology and my thesis on mangrove propagation.

DENR describes it as a reverse tsunami–one that’s coming from the highlands rather than the ocean. The carpet of logs floating along Iligan and the fact that oro mining is prevalent in Cagayan de Oro put on an interjection to the long questioned practices. Considering the coastal nature of most of our cities bordered by serrated mountain ranges, if we keep on pushing the grid of commercial forests and deplete the primary ones, any city bares itself for a catastrophe.

I have been to many cities to conclude that one of the few cities with a high level of environmental consciousness is Dumaguete City. I’ve been here almost 10 years and that is something noteworthy about the city. Together with Negros Occidental, the city has long initiated an island wide environmental protection program. Negros Oriental has also organized an Integrated Water Resource Management Council. The mountain range of the city is heavily forested and zealously guarded. This attitude contributes to a step towards the often neglected stance of sustainable development. My prayer is that as a nation we would finally take this route seriously. You know how far we are from this? Go to a drug store and buy a Biogesic. Your drug dispenser will give you your medicine in a neat plastic stapled to seal. In malls, we are given the perks if we bring our own bags instead of using their plastic bags. Quite good. In other nations, you will ahve to bring your own bag or you’ll have to carry your groceries with your bare hands. Imposingly good. We are one of the few nations who use plastics heavily. We can have so many examples on this subject and I do not intend to make this long.

God has entrusted us with His creation as stewards of it, selfishness and greed makes us think we own it. This (environment) still, should be a legacy to the next generation. I hope we get to think about this.

In the meantime, there are several ways at which we can donate in cash or kind to the flood victims. Please google Sendong and help awaits and stares square at you there.