Deforestation

Deforestation affects us all. Deforestation is a major cause of flooding, landslide and climate change according to Greenpeace International.

Deforestation

           Illegal logging, slash and burn farming (kaingin), land clearance and charcoal mining (pag-uling) have damaged millions of hectares of Philippine forests. According to studies it takes more than 100 years to rehabilitate them. The destruction affected the country's rainforests and other biological ecosystem. People involved in these activities justified themselves and based their arguments on their economic status.

Uling  House

Open pit use for burning woods

Two years ago, I had a conversation with a local public official in Mindoro and I quoted what he said “Ang mga mamayan dito sa lugar natin ay nakadepende lamang sa pag-uuling at sa pagputol ng mga punongkahoy, maaring mawawalan sila ng kabuhayan oras na ipagbawal na ito.” After two years, charcoal mining (pag-uuling) is strictly prohibited in our municipality in Oriental Mindoro but people can still produce and trade “uling” if they acquire special permits released by DENR and local government. Pag-uuling is still rampant in our area.  I can present many evidences regarding this claim.  Ang pagpapatupad ng total ban sa pag-uuling ay hindi gaanong nagagawa dahil madali lang naman kumuha ng special permit lalo na kung malakas kanf koneksyon. Nakakabahala ang bagay na ito sapagkat laganap na naman ang mga pagbaha, tumitindi ang problema sa climate change at landslide na patuloy na naranasan dahil sa unti-unting pagkakalbo ng mga kabunduhan at pagkaubos ng likas na yaman.

Deforestation

Discoloration of Swamp (may be related to climate change)

Deforestation

I hope that the good governance of the President Noynoy Aquino will cover issues on deforestation and pay attention at least on climate change issues related to forest degradation as he address global agenda for climate change. - Shernan

The Joy of Giving

      We often think that success depends on focusing on ourselves. But this simply isn't true.

One of the seven Rivers we crossed to reached the Village

       Last January 3, 2011, an opportunity calls for us to have a visit in an underprivileged community of Sitio Matucao, in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro for a gift-giving activity. The village is a 45-minute to 1-hour walk away from our home. We all trekked our ways up the hill to Mountains and crossed about seven rivers.The Keep Hope Alive team (composed of my siblings, cousins and friends) was able to view gift-giving in different angles, especially of the fun and adventure. The trip was uneventful, just beautiful scenery, great people, sun, laughter, and gentle camaraderie. We may fail to give the villagers something for the long run but we achieved our purpose in sharing our blessings and showing a minute act of gratitude for the year of blessings and provisions. Our giving is never to people or things but rather it is to God. Giving is not something you do when things are going well but it is a lifestyle.

The Team

The team with my supportive father

First stop: Uncle Judy's house

Holding young coconut trees to be planted by my father

      Also, it was very fulfilling to see families appreciated our gifts as they had with them their smiling faces. It’s a very innovative way to mobilize personal resources for worthy activities without the conventional tedium of donation and fund-raising.

      I realized giving takes you out of yourself and expanding beyond your limitations. You cannot give with joy if you have not first given yourself to God. And when you go around planting blessings, you harvest blessings yourself! They grow and multiply.

Mangyan beneficiary

Cousin Apple and John

A local villager doing her laundry works beside the clear river.

Siblings with their house in the background

A local farmer handed gifts by Ptra. Eve

Checking a mother with her daughter.

      The joy of giving means that I give purely because it is my way of expressing my passion and love for the things I believe in and my gratefulness to the God who made me a steward over His resources. - Shernan

Mother Carabao with her charming daughter

“Sometimes the joy of giving has the amazing potential to surpass even the most strongest of feeling known to humans. Because when you give, you love; and love, I’ve experienced in my life is the purest of emotion.” – Gulab Ram [1960 - May 14, 2004]