I could just imagine what my youngest daughter was feeling when she set foot in Bacolod for the very first time after being gone for 12 long years. She was 9 when she left and at 21, she tried so hard to sift through her memory of the place she once called home. Some things she remembered, some things she forgot.

She marveled in the beauty of her birthplace – palm trees slightly swaying in the warm, breezy afternoon; the cacophony of sound rushing at her all at once, from horns honking, to the high pitch tone of the street vendors and the bustling activity all around her; and the sight of garbage here and there – as we plied the streets of the metropolis.

“Why are the garbage in the middle of the street,” she innocently asked her brother. To which my son replied with a huge grin in his face, “That’s just the way it is here…remember?”

The question struck me as odd when I first heard it but I quickly realized that my daughter may have forgotten a few things but through her brother’s short reply, she was able to blend her past with the reality that was in front of her at that time.

My daughter’s reaction though a bit amusing at that time (which was not her intention of course) took on a more serious tone with me. In a much more grandiose scale, the question of what we can do to help our environment resonates like a struck prayer gong.

There is no comparison of course, life here and there are like comparing apples and oranges, thus my daughter’s reaction upon seeing the mounds of garbage. Apples and oranges, they’re fruits and all but they’re not the same. A happy middle ground is definitely attainable but first we must take a few steps back to assess how we can make this world a better place.

Let’s start with putting a stop to this one deplorable act of human display – taking a piss in public. Call it cultural or distinctive Filipino but for the life of me, I could never understand the pink pee stalls that strategically dot Metro Manila. Driving around and seeing those hideous contraptions laid out like landmarks, I noticed people covering their noses as they walk passed it. The concept is totally unprecedented but definitely gross. Here’s my question – why subject Mother Earth and her people to the stench and this eye soar?

Here in the United States, the push to eat organic food, consume and use its derivatives are slowly finding their way in our supermarkets and even in our daily lives. Though more expensive, the thought of ingesting food with no fertilizer or pesticide is gaining a wider appeal now more than ever. This lifestyle brings me back to how life was like growing up over there where most things came to us fresh and plucked out from where they came from a few minutes before they were actually eaten. Fresh, clean and definitely organic!

Where before recycling is looked upon as a lot of work, for me at least, it has become a personal crusade at our home. We have two huge garbage cans with lids, one for “garbage” garbage and the other for all our recyclables – newspapers, aluminum cans, glass and soda bottles, Styrofoam, paper, and many more. I also take the extra time to sift through our 13-gallon garbage can in the kitchen before I dispose of anything that will end up in the two distinct garbage bins outside. More importantly, the question – paper or plastic? – has taken a more definitive stance for me every time I go to the grocery store.

There are a million and one ways to help restore Mother Earth to her pristine beauty or even to a mere semblance of her original state. Back to those days when discarded cell phones, plastic bags, computers did not turn our landfills into permanent mountains of 21st century garbage. Back to those days when we can breathe better quality air, live in a less polluted environment and survive in this world with less pulmonary problems. Back to those days when trees abound and crystal clear water in our rivers and oceans could be enjoyed by everyone – humans and animals alike.  Back to the days before the oil spills, deforestation and icebergs melting.

Mother Earth has seen unparalleled devastation of her natural resources in the hands of her people. Despite the unthinkable reshaping of her physical landscape and the slow and painful plundering of her natural wealth, she has stood steadfast and resilient as if telling us that there is still time to change, that she will eventually heal and rise up again to reclaim her old grandeur.

Kudos is in the offing for Mother Earth - for giving us this chance, for giving us the time to mend our ways, for her subtlety in showing us the signs where we can improve. Kudos to Mother Earth for her patience in nudging us along towards the right direction. Kudos to Mother Earth for getting her people to band together and come up with special times like Earth Hour and most recently, Earth Day to highlight what needs to be done.

Our task is simple. Get out there and clear the pile of garbage from the middle of the street. Pick up any litter that you see wherever you are. Better still…do not litter yourself! Conserve energy, conserve water, and find ways to reuse things, to recycle, to reduce consumption and waste of anything and everything. Be the first to make a difference and be consistent while you’re at it. Eventually Mother Earth will be grateful and we’ll be the first ones to know when that happens.

Till next time…enjoy life and all the blessings it brings!!!

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