The filing of charges against Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob for cutting down trees in timberland area and dumping filling materials there will test whether the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) has the backbone to pursue the case to a final resolution.
That, and the case against unscrupulous persons selling watershed land in barangay Tabunan, Cebu City.
The agency through its sub-agencies like the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences have been reminding the mayor about his illegal quarrying activities for some time, even going to the extent of elevating the matter to Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
But as seen in the filing of charges against Gungob, it seemed the mayor didn’t back down and even continued to pursue cutting trees in timberland area. While some local officials rarely get cowed by national government agencies, it would have been better if the DENR enforced the law more firmly to remind the mayor not to run his greedy hands over the uplands of his town.
The mayor assured that the tree-cutting of trees and dumping of mountain soil stopped a long time ago. But if memory serves, Gungob agreed to stop quarrying only to resume them with the help of some partner companies with the excuse that he was implementing a land development project there.
Meanwhile, the cases filed against land sellers in sitio Cantipla, barangay Tabunan underscore the struggle of the DENR’s reforestation agreement with former police general Tiburcio Fusilero.
True, parts of the timberland area have been regreened, but if people are willing to illegaly sell land “rights” for commercial and private use, what’s to prevent them from allowing activities and structures that upset reforestation activties in the first place?
Add to that the hostility of farmer residents who claim to have lived in the land for several generations . This leaves the DENR in a situation where the preservation of timberland areas is compromised by a few rich parties and opposed by farmer residents who could have been tapped to help protect the area.
The filing of charges may not be enough. The enforcement of environment laws should include plugging loopholes which allow the acquisition of public land.
This refers to questionable tax declarations issued to occupants in the mountains, who use the document to “sell” their property, which can never be titled. The DENR should be asking Cebu City Hall why these tax declarations are issued in the first place.
Otherwise people will see more of the same sales of inalienable public land to rich folk and not enough action being done to regulate land use of occupants or to protect a thinning forest cover in order to ensure Metro Cebu’s source of drinking water.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Invest in clean energy, Napocor urges firms
By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
STATE-RUN NATIONAL POWER CORP. SEEKS investments in renewable energy for its island and off-grid operations, in a bid to reduce costly government subsidies to its Small Power Utilities Group operations.
SPUG, Napocor’s missionary electrification arm, currently provides power to remote islands and barangays not connected to the main grids, and the subsidy to these areas runs up to about P6 billion a year.
“The subsidy of government becomes less because we will now just have to provide the gap between the regulated rate of electricity and the actual generating cost of the private sector, as opposed to coming in there on our own and covering the entire cost. That is where the value of the partnership comes in,” said Napocor president Froilan A. Tampinco.
He cautioned, however, that relying on renewable energy alone could be expensive.
“The trick is to come up with hybrid systems. This is a combination of renewable and conventional energy,” Tampinco said.
Another incentive for investors, Tampinco noted, was the pending tourism bill, which aims to promote tourism in areas where SPUG operates.
“That [bill] is going to be another incentive for investors in terms of the improved economic activity of the people, the prospects for the market and better returns,” Tampinco said.
“I am very confident and bullish about how things are moving right now. Our concentrated efforts on these island and off-grid operations, the supportive legislative piece in the form of the New Renewable Energy Law and the coming Tourism Bill will allow us to have a positive impact on these communities that need priming up to improve their livelihood,” he added.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
STATE-RUN NATIONAL POWER CORP. SEEKS investments in renewable energy for its island and off-grid operations, in a bid to reduce costly government subsidies to its Small Power Utilities Group operations.
SPUG, Napocor’s missionary electrification arm, currently provides power to remote islands and barangays not connected to the main grids, and the subsidy to these areas runs up to about P6 billion a year.
“The subsidy of government becomes less because we will now just have to provide the gap between the regulated rate of electricity and the actual generating cost of the private sector, as opposed to coming in there on our own and covering the entire cost. That is where the value of the partnership comes in,” said Napocor president Froilan A. Tampinco.
He cautioned, however, that relying on renewable energy alone could be expensive.
“The trick is to come up with hybrid systems. This is a combination of renewable and conventional energy,” Tampinco said.
Another incentive for investors, Tampinco noted, was the pending tourism bill, which aims to promote tourism in areas where SPUG operates.
“That [bill] is going to be another incentive for investors in terms of the improved economic activity of the people, the prospects for the market and better returns,” Tampinco said.
“I am very confident and bullish about how things are moving right now. Our concentrated efforts on these island and off-grid operations, the supportive legislative piece in the form of the New Renewable Energy Law and the coming Tourism Bill will allow us to have a positive impact on these communities that need priming up to improve their livelihood,” he added.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Green and Bare It
Philippine Daily Inquirer
GOING green doesn’t mean being in the red. More and more companies involved in manufacturing, energy, retail and construction are now embracing environmentally safe and energy-saving practices that also reduce their production and operational costs.
In a recently released international survey, the business sector in the Philippines emerged as the most perceptibly environment-friendly sector.
According to the 2009 Grant Thornton International Business Report, the business sector in the country got a score of +78 percent which, observers said, was a result of efforts among several firms to actively pursue projects that promote cleaner and greener surroundings.
The Philippines, thus, makes for a rightful venue for the first International Conference on Green Industry in Asia on September 9 to 11, at the Philippine International Convention Center. This is organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) and hosted by the Philippines through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
In this meeting, delegations from 25 Asia Pacific countries, headed by environment and trade ministers, as well as senior officials, are expected to come up with a Manila declaration to encourage industries and businesses to adopt eco-friendly systems.
DENR Secretary Joselito Atienza Jr. is optimistic that the event will serve as an opportunity for the Philippines to highlight its potential toward green growth. “Climate change is one of the biggest problems we face today. The shift to a low carbon economy will change how industries operate, the products we use and our lifestyles. Business and consumers can benefit from significant savings and resource efficiency measures,” Atienza said.
“We are pursuing the shift to renewable energy. We also have ample water supply. We have considerable geothermal resources and our wind condition is suitable for windmills. In fact, we are the only country in Southeast Asia with windmills that earn carbon credits. Indeed, we are blessed that we have the natural resources to do these and be able to show our neighboring countries such potential is a very worthy accomplishment,” he added.
The following is an initial list of companies with notable green initiatives, as compiled by the DENR Environmental Management Bureau.
1. Nestlé Philippines, Inc.
The company optimizes the use of water in its operations and eliminates unnecessary consumption. These efforts have cut down Nestlé’s water consumption by 16.76 percent since 1997 or an average of 65,600 cubic meters of water every year. One of the green measures that Nestlé has employed is the reuse of water for various parts of its operation particularly in its Lipa and Cabuyao factories. Water used for sealing, cooling and even treated waste water is collected, pumped and recirculated for irrigation of plants and grass as well as other uses instead of being discharged as waste.
2. Coca-Cola Bottlers Plant, Tacloban (CCBPI)
CCBPI is implementing a program to phase out refrigerants with ozone-depleting substances through the purchase of refrigerators, coolers, fountains and vending equipment that use environment-friendly refrigerants. The program also includes energy-efficient initiatives such as use of natural light (skylight) in its warehouses. The plant has also switched or retrofitted its boiler from using bunker fuel to Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (LSFO).
3. Hideco Sugar Milling Company, Leyte
Hideco uses bagasse, a by-product derived from sugar cane, as fuel for its boilers to generate steam. The steam generated is then used to drive turbines of cane milling plant equipment and also turbo-generators to produce electricity for the sugar processing plant. •
GOING green doesn’t mean being in the red. More and more companies involved in manufacturing, energy, retail and construction are now embracing environmentally safe and energy-saving practices that also reduce their production and operational costs.
In a recently released international survey, the business sector in the Philippines emerged as the most perceptibly environment-friendly sector.
According to the 2009 Grant Thornton International Business Report, the business sector in the country got a score of +78 percent which, observers said, was a result of efforts among several firms to actively pursue projects that promote cleaner and greener surroundings.
The Philippines, thus, makes for a rightful venue for the first International Conference on Green Industry in Asia on September 9 to 11, at the Philippine International Convention Center. This is organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (Escap) and hosted by the Philippines through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
In this meeting, delegations from 25 Asia Pacific countries, headed by environment and trade ministers, as well as senior officials, are expected to come up with a Manila declaration to encourage industries and businesses to adopt eco-friendly systems.
DENR Secretary Joselito Atienza Jr. is optimistic that the event will serve as an opportunity for the Philippines to highlight its potential toward green growth. “Climate change is one of the biggest problems we face today. The shift to a low carbon economy will change how industries operate, the products we use and our lifestyles. Business and consumers can benefit from significant savings and resource efficiency measures,” Atienza said.
“We are pursuing the shift to renewable energy. We also have ample water supply. We have considerable geothermal resources and our wind condition is suitable for windmills. In fact, we are the only country in Southeast Asia with windmills that earn carbon credits. Indeed, we are blessed that we have the natural resources to do these and be able to show our neighboring countries such potential is a very worthy accomplishment,” he added.
The following is an initial list of companies with notable green initiatives, as compiled by the DENR Environmental Management Bureau.
1. Nestlé Philippines, Inc.
The company optimizes the use of water in its operations and eliminates unnecessary consumption. These efforts have cut down Nestlé’s water consumption by 16.76 percent since 1997 or an average of 65,600 cubic meters of water every year. One of the green measures that Nestlé has employed is the reuse of water for various parts of its operation particularly in its Lipa and Cabuyao factories. Water used for sealing, cooling and even treated waste water is collected, pumped and recirculated for irrigation of plants and grass as well as other uses instead of being discharged as waste.
2. Coca-Cola Bottlers Plant, Tacloban (CCBPI)
CCBPI is implementing a program to phase out refrigerants with ozone-depleting substances through the purchase of refrigerators, coolers, fountains and vending equipment that use environment-friendly refrigerants. The program also includes energy-efficient initiatives such as use of natural light (skylight) in its warehouses. The plant has also switched or retrofitted its boiler from using bunker fuel to Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (LSFO).
3. Hideco Sugar Milling Company, Leyte
Hideco uses bagasse, a by-product derived from sugar cane, as fuel for its boilers to generate steam. The steam generated is then used to drive turbines of cane milling plant equipment and also turbo-generators to produce electricity for the sugar processing plant. •
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Richard Gutierrez goes green in new docu
By Bayani San Diego Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—Richard Gutierrez found Nemo (clownfish) while diving in the waters off Anilao, Batangas, for the new environmental documentary “Planet Philippines.”
Chard, as he is known in show biz circles, thoroughly enjoyed taping the docu, which airs tonight on GMA 7.
The actor went diving in three different spots in the Batangas-Mindoro seas known as “Center of the Center of the World’s Marine Biodiversity.”
“I was surrounded by hundreds of jackfish, what locals call talakitok,” he recounts. “It was a beautiful experience ... seeing the colorful corals, the amazing marine life.”
Chard was happy to learn that the fisher folk of Batangas had been recruited in conservation efforts.
“In this docu, we show how we can take care of our country’s natural resources,” he notes.
The docu boasts rare footage of the thresher shark as well. “It was caught by our cameraman in Malapascua, Cebu. My diver-friends have gone to Malapascua four times and they’ve never seen the thresher shark.”
In Cebu, Chard also went trekking in the Alcoy forest for an hour and a half and spotted the black shama, a bird endemic to the country.
“Our cameraman wore camouflage so he could get close-up shots of the bird. He couldn’t move an inch even though mosquitoes were feasting on him,” he recalls.
The docu was recorded using high definition Panasonic HPX 500 cameras.
“I never considered it difficult because when I experience something new and see places I haven’t seen before, all my exhaustion disappears,” the actor says.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines—Richard Gutierrez found Nemo (clownfish) while diving in the waters off Anilao, Batangas, for the new environmental documentary “Planet Philippines.”
Chard, as he is known in show biz circles, thoroughly enjoyed taping the docu, which airs tonight on GMA 7.
The actor went diving in three different spots in the Batangas-Mindoro seas known as “Center of the Center of the World’s Marine Biodiversity.”
“I was surrounded by hundreds of jackfish, what locals call talakitok,” he recounts. “It was a beautiful experience ... seeing the colorful corals, the amazing marine life.”
Chard was happy to learn that the fisher folk of Batangas had been recruited in conservation efforts.
“In this docu, we show how we can take care of our country’s natural resources,” he notes.
The docu boasts rare footage of the thresher shark as well. “It was caught by our cameraman in Malapascua, Cebu. My diver-friends have gone to Malapascua four times and they’ve never seen the thresher shark.”
In Cebu, Chard also went trekking in the Alcoy forest for an hour and a half and spotted the black shama, a bird endemic to the country.
“Our cameraman wore camouflage so he could get close-up shots of the bird. He couldn’t move an inch even though mosquitoes were feasting on him,” he recalls.
The docu was recorded using high definition Panasonic HPX 500 cameras.
“I never considered it difficult because when I experience something new and see places I haven’t seen before, all my exhaustion disappears,” the actor says.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Small Leyte town assembles bamboo car
By Vicente Labro
Philippine Daily Inquirer
TABONTABON, LEYTE, Philippines—Move over electric cars, bamboo cars are the next eco-friendly transport.
A farming town has started to assemble cars using bamboo and other indigenous materials in pursuit of the green agenda. It has also fabricated equipment for waste recycling.
Tabontabon, a fifth-class municipality of over 10,000 people and situated 30 kilometers south of Tacloban City, began the environment-friendly projects on the initiative of its mayor, Dr. Rustico Balderian.
Balderian, 53, a physician serving his first term as mayor, recalls that the car assembly venture arose from the town’s need for an alternative means of transportation.
Jeepneys seldom ply the route because it takes hours for the vehicles to fill up with passengers. The main mode of transport is the motorcycle, locally known as habal-habal which, according to the mayor, is prone to accidents.
To solve the problem, Balderian says he looked around for a form of transport that can compete with the habal-habal, jeepney and multicab in terms of cost and efficiency. With the help of residents and out-of-school youths, he experimented with a three-wheeler and a car with a one-cylinder engine.
Three car models
They finally settled on a two-cylinder engine that runs on coconut-based biofuel with the body made of indigenous material.
Their efforts resulted in three prototypes of the eco-friendly cars assembled under the Tabontabon Organic Transportation Industry (Toti) livelihood project.
The Eco 1 model car, designed by Balderian, is made of indigenous materials, except for the engine, tires, chassis and flooring. It can seat 20 people, including driver, and can run on one gallon of biodiesel for eight hours.
It can climb a 20-percent incline. Its body, including the roof, is covered with woven mats. It has a steel plate flooring.
The Eco 2 model car is 70 per cent made of bamboo, including body and flooring. It can seat six passengers and has a stereo system. It can run on one gallon of biodiesel for eight hours and can climb a 20-percent incline.
The Eco 3 model car is an improved version of Eco 2. Bamboo makes up 90 percent of the car, including chassis. It can accommodate six passengers.
The three car models have been driven around town and even participated in a parade in Tacloban City.
Stronger than steel
Balderian says the use of locally available bamboo, whose tensile strength is greater than steel, lowers production cost. Bamboo is also pliant and light.
“Bamboo cars are environment-friendly and could help mitigate the adverse effects of climate changes,” he says.
According to the mayor, it takes around five tons of ore to produce a ton of steel plate and to transform the ore into steel plate, some five million Btu of heat is needed.
Balderian claims the car body can last 10 years as the bamboo and indigenous materials will be laminated or treated with polyurethane to withstand the heat and rain.
There is also no danger of the vehicle catching fire as polyurethane is fire-resistant, he adds.
Mass production
Balderian estimates that the Eco 1 car will cost about P200,000. Since it runs on coconut biofuel, it will not be dependent on the more expensive fossil-fuel.
Some of his fellow mayors, he says, have already signified their interest to buy these environment-friendly cars.
Balderian says their group is seeking a classification for these “eco-vehicles” from the Land Transportation Office.
So far, they have only produced three prototypes and will only assemble additional units if there are orders.
If there is enough interest, they plan to mass-produce the cars.
Solid waste management
Tabontabon has other ventures such as the fabrication of shredders, boilers and bio-reactors, not only for use in the town’s solid waste management program but also to sell in other provinces.
So far, the mayors of Mayorga in Leyte and Villareal in Samar bought the solid waste management package, each costing P650,000.
“Other bio-reactors take 14-21 days to produce fertilizer. Our bio-reactor can make fertilizer in five days,” Balderian says. The fertilizer can be sold at P5 a kilo.
Other projects
Other livelihood projects include the making of slippers, bags and bricks out of plastic waste.
Balderian says the town’s environment and livelihood projects are anchored on a campaign against climate change.
“If we will not work together to mitigate climate change, Tabontabon, which is located 15 kilometers from the sea, will become a coastal town in about 40 years,” he warns.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
TABONTABON, LEYTE, Philippines—Move over electric cars, bamboo cars are the next eco-friendly transport.
A farming town has started to assemble cars using bamboo and other indigenous materials in pursuit of the green agenda. It has also fabricated equipment for waste recycling.
Tabontabon, a fifth-class municipality of over 10,000 people and situated 30 kilometers south of Tacloban City, began the environment-friendly projects on the initiative of its mayor, Dr. Rustico Balderian.
Balderian, 53, a physician serving his first term as mayor, recalls that the car assembly venture arose from the town’s need for an alternative means of transportation.
Jeepneys seldom ply the route because it takes hours for the vehicles to fill up with passengers. The main mode of transport is the motorcycle, locally known as habal-habal which, according to the mayor, is prone to accidents.
To solve the problem, Balderian says he looked around for a form of transport that can compete with the habal-habal, jeepney and multicab in terms of cost and efficiency. With the help of residents and out-of-school youths, he experimented with a three-wheeler and a car with a one-cylinder engine.
Three car models
They finally settled on a two-cylinder engine that runs on coconut-based biofuel with the body made of indigenous material.
Their efforts resulted in three prototypes of the eco-friendly cars assembled under the Tabontabon Organic Transportation Industry (Toti) livelihood project.
The Eco 1 model car, designed by Balderian, is made of indigenous materials, except for the engine, tires, chassis and flooring. It can seat 20 people, including driver, and can run on one gallon of biodiesel for eight hours.
It can climb a 20-percent incline. Its body, including the roof, is covered with woven mats. It has a steel plate flooring.
The Eco 2 model car is 70 per cent made of bamboo, including body and flooring. It can seat six passengers and has a stereo system. It can run on one gallon of biodiesel for eight hours and can climb a 20-percent incline.
The Eco 3 model car is an improved version of Eco 2. Bamboo makes up 90 percent of the car, including chassis. It can accommodate six passengers.
The three car models have been driven around town and even participated in a parade in Tacloban City.
Stronger than steel
Balderian says the use of locally available bamboo, whose tensile strength is greater than steel, lowers production cost. Bamboo is also pliant and light.
“Bamboo cars are environment-friendly and could help mitigate the adverse effects of climate changes,” he says.
According to the mayor, it takes around five tons of ore to produce a ton of steel plate and to transform the ore into steel plate, some five million Btu of heat is needed.
Balderian claims the car body can last 10 years as the bamboo and indigenous materials will be laminated or treated with polyurethane to withstand the heat and rain.
There is also no danger of the vehicle catching fire as polyurethane is fire-resistant, he adds.
Mass production
Balderian estimates that the Eco 1 car will cost about P200,000. Since it runs on coconut biofuel, it will not be dependent on the more expensive fossil-fuel.
Some of his fellow mayors, he says, have already signified their interest to buy these environment-friendly cars.
Balderian says their group is seeking a classification for these “eco-vehicles” from the Land Transportation Office.
So far, they have only produced three prototypes and will only assemble additional units if there are orders.
If there is enough interest, they plan to mass-produce the cars.
Solid waste management
Tabontabon has other ventures such as the fabrication of shredders, boilers and bio-reactors, not only for use in the town’s solid waste management program but also to sell in other provinces.
So far, the mayors of Mayorga in Leyte and Villareal in Samar bought the solid waste management package, each costing P650,000.
“Other bio-reactors take 14-21 days to produce fertilizer. Our bio-reactor can make fertilizer in five days,” Balderian says. The fertilizer can be sold at P5 a kilo.
Other projects
Other livelihood projects include the making of slippers, bags and bricks out of plastic waste.
Balderian says the town’s environment and livelihood projects are anchored on a campaign against climate change.
“If we will not work together to mitigate climate change, Tabontabon, which is located 15 kilometers from the sea, will become a coastal town in about 40 years,” he warns.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Nitrous oxide is top destroyer of ozone layer
Agence France-Presse
WASHINGTON – Nitrous oxide emissions caused by human activity have become the largest contributor to ozone depletion and are likely to remain so for the rest of the 21st century, a US study has concluded.
The study by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency said efforts to reduce chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere over the past two decades were "an environmental success story.
"But manmade nitrous oxide is now the elephant in the room among ozone-depleting substances," said A. R. Ravishankara, lead author of the study, which was published Friday in the journal Science.
While nitrous oxide's role in depleting the ozone layer has been known for decades, the study marks the first time that its impact has been measured using the same methods as CFCs and other ozone depleting substances.
Emissions and production of those substances are regulated under the 1987 Montreal Protocol.
But the treaty excludes nitrous oxides, which are emitted by agricultural fertilizers, livestock manure, sewage treatment, combustion and certain other industrial processes.
Since nitrous oxide is also a greenhouse gas, the scientists said reducing emissions from man made sources would be good for the ozone layer and help temper climate change.
WASHINGTON – Nitrous oxide emissions caused by human activity have become the largest contributor to ozone depletion and are likely to remain so for the rest of the 21st century, a US study has concluded.
The study by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Agency said efforts to reduce chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in the atmosphere over the past two decades were "an environmental success story.
"But manmade nitrous oxide is now the elephant in the room among ozone-depleting substances," said A. R. Ravishankara, lead author of the study, which was published Friday in the journal Science.
While nitrous oxide's role in depleting the ozone layer has been known for decades, the study marks the first time that its impact has been measured using the same methods as CFCs and other ozone depleting substances.
Emissions and production of those substances are regulated under the 1987 Montreal Protocol.
But the treaty excludes nitrous oxides, which are emitted by agricultural fertilizers, livestock manure, sewage treatment, combustion and certain other industrial processes.
Since nitrous oxide is also a greenhouse gas, the scientists said reducing emissions from man made sources would be good for the ozone layer and help temper climate change.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Strong as the ‘balete’
By Rina Jimenez-David
Philippine Daily Inquirer
ONE OF the sites we visited during our recent trip to Baler in Aurora was to the 600-year-old balete tree (said to be the biggest and oldest tree in Asia) that stands in a clearing carved out of the lush forests that surround the capital.
The balete is so old that its roots have grown to gigantic proportions, pushing out of the earth and raising the main trunk way above the heads of visitors. Locals say it takes 60 adults, linking arms, to surround the entirety of the tree. So large is the tree, in fact, that the complex network of criss-crossing roots has formed tiny caves and passageways which children climb and explore.
The women in our party were leery of moving past the external roots, fearing getting lost in the maze and encountering bird dung and spider webs, not to mention bird poop and (gasp!) snakes. But the men who ventured into the tree’s interiors reported that the space at the tree’s center was surprisingly roomy, with sunlight streaming in through the interlaced branches and leaves.
We couldn’t help wondering how much history, how much upheaval and drama the balete had witnessed, a silent sentinel through the passage of time and tide. Just last year, said some locals, they feared for the balete’s health as typhoon winds lashed Aurora, and they rushed to the site as soon as the weather had cleared. The tree had indeed been battered, with several branches broken off, but still it stood, defying nature’s wrath.
A likely metaphor for the Filipino people, isn’t it? Beset by political winds like “Typhoon Con-ass,” battered by political ambition, corruption, hypocrisy and sex scandals, and living with the plagues of poverty and pestilence, and still standing strong, weathering the storms of life.
When in Cebu City, please visit also gregmelep.com for your retirement and real estate needs.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
ONE OF the sites we visited during our recent trip to Baler in Aurora was to the 600-year-old balete tree (said to be the biggest and oldest tree in Asia) that stands in a clearing carved out of the lush forests that surround the capital.
The balete is so old that its roots have grown to gigantic proportions, pushing out of the earth and raising the main trunk way above the heads of visitors. Locals say it takes 60 adults, linking arms, to surround the entirety of the tree. So large is the tree, in fact, that the complex network of criss-crossing roots has formed tiny caves and passageways which children climb and explore.
The women in our party were leery of moving past the external roots, fearing getting lost in the maze and encountering bird dung and spider webs, not to mention bird poop and (gasp!) snakes. But the men who ventured into the tree’s interiors reported that the space at the tree’s center was surprisingly roomy, with sunlight streaming in through the interlaced branches and leaves.
We couldn’t help wondering how much history, how much upheaval and drama the balete had witnessed, a silent sentinel through the passage of time and tide. Just last year, said some locals, they feared for the balete’s health as typhoon winds lashed Aurora, and they rushed to the site as soon as the weather had cleared. The tree had indeed been battered, with several branches broken off, but still it stood, defying nature’s wrath.
A likely metaphor for the Filipino people, isn’t it? Beset by political winds like “Typhoon Con-ass,” battered by political ambition, corruption, hypocrisy and sex scandals, and living with the plagues of poverty and pestilence, and still standing strong, weathering the storms of life.
When in Cebu City, please visit also gregmelep.com for your retirement and real estate needs.
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