The Need for Moderation

The Need for Moderation

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Nobody is perfect and everybody has a tendency to be bad. But there are what we call “discipline” and “control” that can make us restrain our acts. As intelligent creatures, we are supposed to have an inner strength that can help us decide to observe “moderation” in everything that we do.

 

We can be bad but we must always bear in mind the “Golden Rule” unless we are prepared for the consequences of our acts that could hurt others, as similar hurt or much more can happen to us. Most often, we are hurt by our own acts…these are the self-inflicted consequences due to our irresponsibility and lack of common sense. Among these are doing things that we know could affect our health, such as, excessive imbibing of alcoholic drinks and unscrupulous pigging out on unhealthy foods.

 

The worst heartless people who lack restraint are those who exploit others, among which are the corrupt in the government. Ironically, these are graduates of big universities with doctorates and masters in various academic spheres, such as, Public Administration, Education, Humanities, and even professional lawyers, physicians, professors. With their transformation from supposedly “honorable” status in life into greedy maniacs when they stepped into the threshold of the government, they deserve to be called “professional corrupt”.  This greedy lot seems to have not come across the word “moderation”, as they want everything that they can hold on to at the expense of others. I WOULD LIKE TO REITERATE THAT NOT ALL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE CORRUPT, AS A HANDFUL OF THEM HELD ON TO THEIR WITS TO REMAIN HONORABLE IN THE REAL SENSE OF THE WORD DESPITE THE MAGNANIMOUS TEMPTATION.

 

On the spiritual side, many eager beavers who claim to have an “encounter” with the Lord, act as if they are the Chosen People of the modern times. They preach what they read in the Bible but never put them into practice. In this regard, I admire the low-profiled New Christians regardless of their denomination, some of whom are leaders of their humble Ministries while the rest spread the Good News via text messages. They never go beyond the limits of their capability to stand for Jesus and God. They preach within the limit of their sincere capability instead of being noisy, and manifesting only what they sincerely feel.

 

We are suffering today due to our excessive greed for comfort. Factories are mushrooming all over the world to bring forth supposedly necessities in life – machines, gadgets, chemicals, garments, packed foods, etc. The factories belch out pollutants that destroy Nature…that is how I can simply state the consequence of our excessive cravings. As a result, the natural climatic cycle has drastically changed. Excessive rains cause flood. Excessive wind causes storms and typhoons. The ozone layer has been ripped exposing the Earth to the deadly heat of the sun.

 

Finally, excessive love can result to selfishness that could be fatal….

 

Ang Solusyon sa Trapikong Sumasakal sa Kalakhang Maynila

Ang Solusyon sa Trapikong Sumasakal sa Kalakhang Maynila

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

 

Nagpapakahirap ang gobyerno at Metro Manila Development Authority sa paghanap ng paraan kung paanong mabawasan ang trapik sa kalakhang Maynila, ganoong ang solusyon ay nandiyan lang…ang Pasig River. Dapat linisin lang consistently ang Pasig River upang hindi gamiting dahilan ang mga water liliy na sumisira sa mga makina ng mga sasakyang pang-ilog tulad ng ferry. Subalit, ang mga proyekto sa paglinis ng Pasig River ay hanggang launching lamang….kodakan ng mga opisyal na gustong makita ang mga mukha sa diyaryo at TV….pagkatapos ng launching, goodbye na sa project….nagkalimutan na. Tuwing may bagong administrasyon, bagong proyekto din ang nilo-launch. GANYAN KAPANGIT ANG UGALI NG MGA NAKAUPONG OPISYAL….MGA MATATAKAW SA PHOTO OPPORTUNITY….ANO ANG NANGYARI SA “PISO PARA SA PASIG” NA SINIMULAN NI MING RAMOS NOONG PANAHON NI FIDEL RAMOS PRESIDENTE?….WALA!!!!!!

 

Hindi na dapat pang ipilit ang paggamit ng mga masisikip nang mga kalsada na pinupuno ng mga kotse ng mga mayayaman at mga bus na galing sa ibang bansa na ang hangad ang lokohin ang Pilipinas na tinatapunan ng mga bus na gawa nila. Nakakabahala ang planong paggawa ng subway sa Metro Manila dahil sa palyadong drainage system na ang iba ay iniwang nakatiwangwang. Siguradong pagbaha, maraming malulunod sa mga subway trains. KUNG ANG LRT AT MRT NGA LANG AY MAHIRAP NANG I-MAINTAIN DAHIL SA CORRUPTION, ANG SUBWAY PA KAYA? HINDI PWEDE ANG MGA GANYANG HI-TECH NA FACILITY SA PILIPINAS DAHIL SA CORRUPTION NA MALALIM ANG PAGKABAON SA SISTEMA….ISANG MAPAIT NA KATOTOHANAN!

 

Kung sa Bangkok, nagawang i-maintain ng gobyerno ang kalinisan ng main river nila na tinuturing din nilang major traffic artery, bakit hindi ito magawa sa Maynila? May floating market ang Bangkok na pwedeng gawin din sa Maynila, subalit ang problema ay ang mga burarang mga iskwater na nakatira sa mga pampang (river banks) na kapag inalis ay aalmahan naman ng mga komunistang grupo at mga human rights advocates kuno.

 

Ang Pasig River ay pwedeng gawan ng bicycle lane na may bubong mula Escolta hanggang Laguna at iba pang arteries na dumadaloy sa iba’t ibang lunsod at bayan sa buong kalakhang Maynila. Upang magkaroon ng seguridad ay dapat lagyan ng mga ilaw at mga pulis outpost sa mga designated entrance/exit areas kung saan ay pwedeng umakyat at bumaba ang mga commuting cyclists. Pwede ring lagyan ng mga rest areas na may snack kiosks para magamit na pahingahan. Sa simula pa lang ay dapat na itong kontrolin upang hindi magamit ng mga sidewalk vendors. Kapag nangyari yan, ang mga commuters ay gaganahang mag-bike kaysa sumakay ng bus, LRT o MRT dahil makakatipid na sila.

 

Ang hirap kasi sa gobyerno ng Pilipinas, karamihan ng mga nakaupong opisyal na mga matatalino kuno ay graduate at nagseminar sa ibang bansa kaya ang mga natutuhan ay HINDI ANGKOP sa Pilipinas. Yan ang resulta ng ugaling pangongopya ng mga Pilipino. Dapat ay isaalang-alang ang kultura ng mga Pilipino pagdating sa mga proyekto dahil unang-una, walang disiplina ang mga Plipino. Dahil diyan, ang nangyayari sa Singapore ay IMPOSIBLENG mangyari sa Pilipinas dahil sa ugali ng mga hangal na opisyal na ang palaging tinitinghan sa mga proyekto ay kung paano silang kumita ng komisyon…AT LALONG DAHIL SA KAWALAN NG DISIPLINA NG MGA PILIPINO, NA KAPAG SINITA SA GINAWANG MALI AY TATAKBO SA HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION!!!!!

Ode to Mother Earth

Ode to Mother Earth

by Apolinario Villalobos

 

Looking back when time began

God said the words

Giving life to all

That He desired,

The endless expanse of the void

Was filled with motley specks

That moved with harmony –

A prodigious task

Of the Almighty.

 

A tiny dot in the universe

Mother Earth throbbed with life

As God made her a living sphere

Covered with green and blue

All part of God’s grandiose plan

Done in a few days of divine toil,

Though, He rested finally,

Being satisfied at last

On the seventh day.

 

Out of a handful dust from her womb

God made Adam, by such name he was called

And with God’s breathe of life

What was once a lump with limbs

Has become like Him in image

And let to roam the Garden of Eden.

But then, loneliness soon had its toll

Which when God has perceived –

From Adam’s rib, He made Eve.

 

Alas! Mother Earth now nurtured

Not only lesser creatures

But the pair that God made

In His own image;

A paradise, Eden was supposed to be

But to it, a serpent found its way

Tempting Eve to have a taste of ecstasy

And, no sooner than she did have a bite

She made Adam commit the same apostasy!

 

The blunder made by Adam and Eve

Instigated the misery of Mother Earth

As they opened the floodgate of afflictions

That soon blemished her once pristine face;

Greed and selfishness, for long led lives –

Cain putting to death his own brother Abel

And many others whose names are written

On the sacred pages of the age-old Book

And all it needs is for us is to take a serious look.

 

And it is so sad,

As warnings that Mother Earth belched

In her effort to wake man up with a jolt

Did not budge him even just a bit…

 

 

Polluted river of Divisoria, business district of Manila…taken, April 18/2016

This is the extent of indifference and indolence of local officials in Manila can go…

The Heavy Pollution in China should Warn Third-World Countries

The Heavy Pollution in China

Should Warn Third -World Countries

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Manufacturing countries that clandestinely hate China have successfully inflicted a “slow death” on the awakened dragon of Asia. They have simply transferred the production aspect of their business in China because of her cheap labor and with it, the byproduct of high technology – the deadly pollution! They have been awfully successful, no question about that!

 

China today, is practically crawling due to the effect of heavy pollution while countries that own brands manufactured in China are basking under smog-free atmosphere. Every day, internet news carries warnings of the Chinese government to its citizens about the heavy pollution and photos are those of the Chinese citizens with face or surgical mask to lessen their inhalation of the dirty air. An enterprising European country is reportedly exporting fresh bottled air to China.

 

The phenomenon in China should serve as a warning to the third-world countries that are blinded by the prospect of living in comfort through high technology. China has practically flooded the world with products made in her homeland. Despite such show of opulence, she is far from being satisfied as her expansionistic desire is slowly creeping towards the rest of Asia and the African continent- with all their third world countries.

 

The governments of these countries would like their forests be uprooted and replaced with factories; would like their fields planted to rice, corn and other staple foods bulldozed to give way to resorts and first-class housing projects; would like their mountains to be drilled for minerals; would like their citizens to be introduced into the mean habits of squalid urban life; would like their centuries-old traditions and faith to be polluted with the immoralities of progress.

 

As the exploitation lasts only for as long as there are yet to be exploited, their “benefits” are likewise short-lived. When the factories and mining companies stop their exhaustive operations, they leave behind ghost towns and villages- with their rivers poisoned by chemicals and the once-fertile land exhausted of their nutrients making them not suitable even for the lowly grass. Their polluted culture gives rise to a new generation of prostitutes and indolent, and worst, with a twisted view on faith.

 

The high-technology must be one of the checks that God has imposed on earth to maintain the balance, aside from natural calamities such as typhoon, earthquake, diseases, and floods, as well as, man-made war. Without them, the world would have burst long time ago, due to overpopulation and inadequate sustenance. But, while these are divine penalties, caution should have been observed by man to at least delay and minimize their occurrence. Unfortunately, man is now reaping the fruits of his greed…at high speed!

 

In the Old Testament, when the God of Israelites wanted them punished for their misdeed, He used the heathen races or tribes to sow disaster upon them. Sometimes He used calamities such as diseases and famine-causing pestilence. The religions of the world are based either directly or indirectly on the Abrahamaic faith, except for some pockets of tribes in unexplored nooks of forests and islands. In a way, most peoples of the world are connected to the God of Israel. Are we now suffering from this divine penalty, mentioned in the Old Testament?

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon….

Mabuti Pa Noong Unang Panahon
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Mga ninuno nating tadtad man ng tattoo
Nagnganganga, nakabahag…walang siphayo.

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Payak ang takbo ng isip, walang pag-iimbot
Na sa pangangamkam ng ibang lupa’y umaabot.

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Magkakatabing mga bayan ay nagtutulungan
Sa pangangailangan ng iba’y malugod ang bigayan.

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Ang mga bundok ay nababalot ng kagubatan
Masaya pati mga ibong nagliliparan sa kalawakan.

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Ginto’t pilak, ‘di pinapansin, walang gahaman
‘Di tulad ngayon, pamantayan ng buhay ay yaman.

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Kung magdasal sila ay diretso sa Amang Poon
‘Di tulad ngayon, tao’y kaaanib ng iba’t ibang kampon.

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Pagtiwala sa kapwa ay di basta-basta nasisira
‘Di tulad ngayon, dangal ay kayang lusawin ng pera.

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Sa malawak na gubat, may pagkaing makukuha
‘Di tulad ngayon, mga bundok at pastulan, kalbo na.

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Masarap samyuhin ang hanging sariwa, malinis
‘Di tulad ngayon, amoy nito, animo’y pagkaing panis.

Mabuti pa noong unang panahon
Tubig na iniinom, sa ilog ay maaari nang salukin
‘Di tulad ngayon, naka-bote lang ang dapat inumin.

Ilang Paraan Upang Mabuhay ng Simple at Makatulong sa Kapwa-tao, lalo na sa Inang Kalikasan

Ilang Paraan Upang Mabuhay Nang Simple at
Makatulong sa Kapwa-tao, lalo na sa Inang Kalikasan

Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Nababanggit ko na noon pa man na ang isang paraan upang mabuhay nang angkop sa kakayahan ay ang pagkakaroon ng buhay na simple o payak. Maaaring simulan sa mga pang araw-araw na pagkain tulad ng NFA rice na murang hindi hamak sa commercial rice (upang ang matipid ay maipantulong sa iba), pagbili ng mga ulam na mura subalit masustansiya, ang paggamit ng kahoy bilang panggatong sa halip na gas kung ligtas na gawin ito sa lugar na tinitirhan, ang pag-recycle ng mga gamit upang mapakinabangan pa ng matagal upang hindi na makadagdag pa sa basura, at upang makaiwas na rin sa karagdagang gastos.

Maliban sa mga nakatira sa condo, ang mga nasa maliliit na subdivision, lalo na ang mga nasa probinsiya ay dapat samantalahin ang kapanibangang dulot ng mga sanga ng kahoy na sa halip na mabulok lamang at maging basura ay gamiting panggatong. Hindi dapat maging maluho pagdating sa mga gamit sa bahay na tulad ng ginagawa ng iba na maluma lang ng wala pang isang taon ay pinapalitan na. At lalong hindi dapat ikahiya ang pagbili ng gulay, murang maliliit na isda, o di kaya ay ang murang buto-buto ng baboy at baka na masustansiya din naman. Ang iba kasi, ayaw ng mga isdang maliliit na pangpangat o pangpaksiw dahil pang-mahirap lang daw kaya mas gusto nila ang malalaking isdang tulad ng tuna at lapu-lapu dahil pang-sosyal kahit mahal, at lalong ayaw nila ng butu-buto dahil pang-aso lang daw.

Ang kailangan lang natin ay pairalin ang imahinasyon upang makatipid. Hindi rin tayo dapat mag-atubili sa pagsubok ng mga bagay na hindi nakagawian. Halimbawa na lang ay ang pag –recyle ng tirang spaghetti na sa halip na itapon o ipakain sa aso na hindi rin naman papansin dito ay gawing “pudding”. Dagdagan ng ilang rekado kahit na gulay, at gamitan ng kaunting arena upang mamuo, ilagay sa hurno at pasingawan o iluto kahit sa maliit na oven-toaster. Kung ang mga tirang tinapay ay maaaring gawing pudding, bakit hindi ang spaghetti? Ang tirang spaghetti na iluluto sa ganitong paraan ay maituturing nang “one dish meal”.

Ang mga tsinelas na goma ay madaling mapigtalan ng strap. Kung isang tsinelas lang ang napigtalan ng strap, huwag itapon ang magkapares dahil pagdating ng panahong magkaroon ng isa pang tsinelas na napigtalan din ng strap, ang mga walang sira ay pwedeng pagparesin upang magamit uli, kahit pambanyo lamang, pangloob ng bahay, o pangtrabaho sa garden. Ang apakan na goma ng mga kapares na napigtalan ng strap ay maaaring gamiting kalso ng mga paa ng silya o mesa upang hindi makagasgas sa sahig na tiles. Ang usok ng sinusunog na goma ay isa sa mga nakakasira sa lambong ng kalawakan o atmosphere, kaya makakatulong ang nabanggit kong pag-recyle upang maiwasan ito.

Ang mga lumang libro at magasin ay mura lamang kung bilhin ng mga junkshop dahil turing sa mga ito ay “reject”. Ilang beses na rin akong nakatiyempo ng mga lumang Bibliya sa mga junkshop na ang turing ay “reject” din. Mas mapapakinabangan ang mga ito ng mga NGO na ang adhikain ay tumulong sa mga batang kalye na gustong matutong magbasa at magsulat subalit hindi nakakapasok sa eskwela. May mga NGO rin na nagmimintina ng library upang magamit ng mga estudyanteng kapos sa budget. Hindi naman siguro masyadong kapaguran ang mag-browse sa internet o sa telephone directory upang makahanap ng magustuhang NGO na maaaring pasahan ng mga nasabing ididispatsa nang mga babasahin. Pwede silang pakiusapang pumik-ap ng mga naipong mga libro sa bahay ng mga nakaipon nito.

May ibang nagtuturing na basura sa mga bagay na pinagsawaan na nila. Sana, magbago ang pananaw ng mga taong may ganitong ugali. Buksan sana nila ang kanilang mga mata at lawakan pa ang kanilang pang-unawa upang mabigyang pansin ang kanilang kapwa na hindi naging mapalad na magkaroon ng kahit na kapiranggot na kaginhawahan sa buhay. At, sa pamamahagi nila ng kanilang pinagsawaan, nakakatulong pa sila sa pagbawas ng naiipong basura sa kapaligiran…na lalong malaking tulong din sa Inang Kalikasan.

Isang Suhestiyon upang Mabawasan o Tuluyang Mawala ang mga Basura, at Kikita pa ang mga Mahihirap

Isang Suhestiyon Upang Mabawasan o Tuluyang Mawala
Ang mga Basura, at Kikita pa ang mga Mahihirap
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Lubusang mabibigyan ng magandang kahulugan ang kasabihang “may pera sa basura”, kung bibilhin ng pamahalaan ang basura. Kapag magkaroon ng ganitong programa ang pamahalaan, siguradong wala nang makikitang maski plastic ng ice candy sa paligid dahil magkakanya-kanya ng ipon ang mga tao, lalo na ang mga bata.

Ito ang suggested na paraan:

1. Ang mga barangay ang bibili ng mga basura mula sa kanilang nasasakupan. Dapat ang basura ay maayos sa pagkabalot batay sa alituntunin na paghiwalay ng mga hindi nabubulok sa mga nabubulok. Ang mga mari-recycle tulad ng bakal, bote, at iba pa na binibili na ng mga junk shop ay hindi bibilhin upang may kita pa rin ang mga ito. Ang hindi maayos sa pagkakabalot ay hindi bibilhin.

2. Por kilo ang bilihan, halimbawa ay Php2.00 bawat kilo para sa nabubulok at Php3.00 kada kilo naman sa hindi nabubulok. Kasama sa mga bibilhin ay mga dahon, tuyong sanga na pinagputul-putol upang magkasya sa sisidlan. Hindi bibilhin ang mga basurang nangangamoy upang matuto ang mga tao sa pagdispatsa nito ng maayos tulad ng pagbabaon sa lupa, o paggamit bilang abuno ng tanim. Dapat ispreyhan ng barangay ang mga nabiling basura na maiimbak kahit nakabalot ang mga ito ng maayos upang mabawasan ang posibilidad ng pagkalat ng mikrobyo sa paligid ng imbakan.

3. Ang mga barangay ay dapat “pautangin” ng DSW ng revolving fund na dapat ding ibalik sa itatakdang panahon na nakasaad sa kontrata o Memorandum of Agreement, at ito ay isasailalim sa COA audit kaya sagutin ng barangay kung ito ay mawawaldas. Kasama sa Memorandum of Agreement ang munisipyo o city government bilang saksi. Kailangang tulungan ng munisipyo o city hall ang DSW sa pamamagitan ng regular na pag-check kung maayos na naipapatupad ang programa.

Sa laki ng pondong ibinibigay sa DSW, dapat may bahagi nitong nakalaan sa mga proyektong nakikita ang resulta o yong tinatawag na tangible. Marami ang nagdududa sa DSW kung ang pondo na binibigay dito ay nagagamit ng maayos sa kabila ng magandang layunin nitong makatulong sa mahihirap na pamilyang may mga batang pinag-aaral. Dapat lang na ma-involve ang ahensiyang ito dahil ang programa ay tungkol sa pagpapaunlad ng buhay ng mga taong mahirap. Ito na ang pagkakataon upang makapagpakita ng katapatan ang DSW sa pagpapatupad ng kanilang tungkulin.

Kung ang basura ay bibilhin, siguradong pag-aagawa na ito ng mga tao. Magkakanya-kanya na rin sila ng paglibot sa kanilang komunidad upang makaipon ng basura. Maliban sa kalinisan na layunin ng programa, sigurado na ring kikita ang mga mahihirap.

Creation Care, Ecological Justice and Ethics by Patriarch Bartholomew

It is seldom that an Ecumenical Patriarch is given exposure for his views. During the recent visit of Patriach Bartolomew in Manila, he delivered a speech in which he shared his seldom-heard views about the most important issue – ecology, correlating it to man’s obligation for the sake of self-preservation. Though simply stated, his message is full of inspiration:

Reflections by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew at the Forum held at the National Museum in Manila

CREATION CARE, ECOLOGICAL JUSTICE AND ETHICS

“Toward COP 21: Civil Society Mobilized for the Climate”
(February 26, 2015)

Distinguished forum participants,
Many of you may be surprised that a religious leader concerned with “spiritual” values is accompanying a political leader involved with “secular” issues. After all, what does preserving the planet have to do with saving the soul? It is widely assumed that climate change and the exploitation of natural resources are matters concerning scientists, technocrats and politicians.
Yet, the preoccupation of the highest spiritual authority in the worldwide Orthodox Church, namely the Ecumenical Patriarchate, with the ecological crisis demonstrates that we cannot have two ways of looking at the world: religious on the one hand and worldly on the other. We cannot separate our concern for human dignity, human rights or social justice from concern for ecological preservation and sustainability. These concerns are forged together, an intertwining spiral that can descend or ascend. If we value each individual made in the image of God, and if we value every particle of God’s creation, then we will care for each other and our world. In religious terms, the way we relate to nature directly reflects the way we relate to God and to our fellow human beings, as well as the way we relate to the biodiversity of creation.
At stake is not just our respect for biodiversity, but our very survival. Scientists calculate that those most harmed by global warming in the future will be the most vulnerable and marginalized. It is those living in the typhoon-prone Philippines who are being forced not only to deal with the miseries of flooded homes and prolonged disruption, but to make fundamental changes in their way of life. And there is a particularly bitter injustice about the fact that those suffering its worst ravages have done least to contribute to it. The ecological crisis is directly related to the ethical challenge of eliminating poverty and advocating human rights. Food security was the foremost issue at the United Nations climate change discussions in Geneva this month.
We are convinced that Asia holds many of the answers to a more biocentric worldview; Western industrialized nations must be humble to listen and learn. Only a few days ago, in India, the world’s public health leaders concluded that fossil fuels are detrimental to human health and wellbeing. And the Philippines – already a leader in geothermal and hydropower – are committed to a path from low carbon to zero carbon in a partnership between the public and private sectors.
This means that global warming is a moral crisis and a moral challenge. The dignity and rights of human beings are intimately and integrally related to the poetry and – we would dare to say – the rights of the earth itself. Human rights in the West have long been criticized for individualism. So will we recognize the faces of the thousands – men and women, mothers and children, elderly and disabled – lost when Typhoon Yolanda hit Guian at 4.40am on November 8th, 2013? On that day, by providence or serendipity, our church celebrates the feast of the holy angels. Will we remember the haunting photographs of that nightmare? The number of deaths horrifies us – but what most painfully reaches our feelings is the individual faces of loss and terror.
And what about the rights of the earth – of which we are a part and apart from which we cannot exist? Who will speak for the voiceless resources of our planet? Who will protect the silent diversity of its species? Will we accept responsibility for pushing our environment over the tipping-point?
In the discussions about climate change, some take a fatalistic attitude, arguing that we should give up all efforts to prevent further changes and instead direct our efforts towards adapting to the inevitable. But the response from those experiencing the effect of climate change is clear: adaptation is not enough. Fundamental changes need to be made at the level of global policy making, and made as a matter of urgency.
Wealthy, industrialized countries have unquestionably contributed most to atmospheric pollution. In our effort, then, to contain and reverse global warming, we must honestly ask ourselves: Will we in the West, in more affluent countries, sacrifice our self-indulgence and consumerism? Will we direct our focus away from what we want to what the rest of the world needs? Among all the facts and statistics, the summits and debates, it is essential for us to remember the human faces of those who suffer because of climate instability. Will we recognize and assume our responsibility to leave a lighter footprint on this planet for them and for the sake of future generations? We must choose to care; otherwise, we do not really care at all about the creator or the creation.
The choice is ours! We stand at a critical moment in the history and future of our planet, a time when our human family must choose future of our earth community. The protection of our planet’s vitality and diversity is a sacred task and a common vocation. At a summit organized by our Church two years ago, former NASA climate scientist Professor James Hansen observed: “Our parents honestly did not know that their actions could harm future generations. But we, our current generation, can only pretend that we did not know.”
It is not too late to act, but we cannot afford to wait; we certainly cannot afford not to act at all. We all agree on the necessity to protect our planet’s natural resources, which are neither limitless nor negotiable. We are all in this together: people of faith must practice what they preach; citizens of the world must clearly voice their opinion; and political leaders must act urgently and decisively.
Dear friends, you will now appreciate why a religious leader is concerned with the ecological crisis. With the voices of those angels who died in Typhoon Yolanda echoing in our ears, we must make the strongest possible call for change and justice at the Climate Conference in Paris next December. This is our ethical and honorable obligation; this is our word of promise and hope to the entire world.

Mother Earth and Man

Mother Earth and Man
By Apolinario Villalobos

Looking back when time began
God said the words
Giving life to all
That He desired,
The endless expanse of the void
Was filled with motley specks
That moved with harmony –
A prodigious task
Of the Almighty.

A tiny dot in the universe
Mother Earth throbbed with life
As God made her a living sphere
Covered with green and blue
All part of God’s grandiose plan
Done in a few days of divine toil,
Though, He rested finally
Being at last satisfied –
On the seventh day.

Out of a handful dust from her womb
God made Adam, by such name he was called
And with God’s breathe of life
What was once a lump with limbs
Has become like Him in image
And let to roam the Garden of Eden
But then, loneliness soon had its toll
Which when God has perceived –
From Adam’s rib, He made Eve.

Mother Earth now nurtures
Not only lesser creatures
But the pair that God made
In some aspects, in His own image.
A paradise, Eden was supposed to be
But to it, a serpent found its way
Tempting Eve to have a taste of ecstasy
And, no sooner than she did have a bite
She made Adam commit the same depravity!

The blunder made by Adam and Eve
Instigated the misery of Mother Earth
As they opened the floodgate of afflictions
That soon blemished her once pristine face;
Greed and selfishness, for long, led lives –
Cain putting to death his own brother Abel,
And many other stories that are written
On the sacred pages of the age-old Book-
All it needs is for us to give it a serious look.

Warnings that Mother Earth belched
In her effort to wake man up with a jolt
Did not budge him even a single bit
Instead, pride bloated him to the utmost
That, into the fetid air, made him float
And, as he breathes in more turpitudes-
It would be no wonder, when he bursts!

That will be the day when not even time
Shall move its hands as they should be,
That will be the day when not even rain
Shall fall with life-giving sweet droplets,
That will be the day when not even birds
Shall fill the air with their lilting tweets,
And the cool breeze shall no longer blow-
Leaving Mother Earth cloaked in sorrow!