Floods, Floods, Floods - in The Philippines (and everywhere...)

My last Manila trips have been cancelled twice due bad weather condition. Right now I am waiting again ... As we all know: also Manila and its people suffered very much during the last weeks. 

Retarding basins will be built now in low lying areas  of Metro Manila, including Espana Boulevard, as part of national government's approach to flooding problem that has cost already billions of Pesos annually.

In a media briefing I learned from Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio L. Singson, who said, that he has high hopes on the construction of water retarding or detention basins as most viable solution to reduce downstream flooding during rainy season.

Such basins are constructed to temporarily store some, if not all, of the rain water run-off, to absorb and contain flooding in periods of high rain and pump it out later at regulated rate of flow to a level that can be safely carried by nearby rivers or esteros.

Secretary Singson cited the construction of a detention tank underneath Padre Burgos Circle during the development stage of the present Fort Bonifacio Global City that has now been helping saved the area, including that of Kalayaan Avenue (where I usually like to stay in a Hotel during my Manila visits!) and Efipanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) from flooding. 

Secretary Singson said that inasmuch as flood management in Metro Manila is under the Metropolitian Manila Development Authority, this is proposed engineering solutions will be discussed wuth MMDA officials. 

Philippines' Vanishing Flora and Fauna!?

Being a permanent resident in the Philippines since 1999, I observed several examples regarding vanishing Philippines's flora and fauna.

The Philippine brown deer hobbles on three legs in a tiny mud of a pen at a government-run wildlife rescue centre, a grim symbol of the Philippines' rapidly vanishing flora and fauna. PEOPLE AWAKE!!!

The deer was a victim of a snare set by villagers hunting it for food that claimed its front right foot six years ago, forcing the old male to live out the rest of its days a long way from home at the animal shelter in Manila. Heaven forbid!

The deer is just one of hundreds of local species that are being hunted close to local species that are being hunted close to extinction mainly by the rural poor who want them for food or to sell to dealers as part of an increasingly lucrative global pet trade,

Living in the Philippines... !

SMART, GLOBE, SUN - An Amazing Cellphone Company Competition in The Philippines

The cellphone companies' competition in the Philippines is becoming smarter and smarter, more globally under the sun. 

Speaking of competition: Leading wireless service provider SMART  is rallying running enthusiasts and nature lovers (including me) to join an advocacy run for the benefit of the environment.

Dubbed "Run for the Environment', the event will be held in partnership with the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature - Philippines) on May 22, at 5 a.m. at SM City of Davao City.

Be there and JOIN! See you there!

And check out more:

http://www.germaninthephilippines.tropicalpenpals.com 

14 Points to Ponder For a Solar Home in The Philippines

Every time I stayed in Spain during the 1980s in my friend's Solar home  I planned to ponder for a solar house in the Philippines. During the 1990s my house has been almost finished. 1999 me and my family moved in. Solar? No question! No decision yes! The prizes kept me breathless - and also the monthly electric bill.

Philippines, a "sunny country"... . BUT... ! 

Check out also the following post: 

14 points to ponder for a solar home

Church groups praised for anti-logging drive

Church groups praised for anti-logging drive

I like to share this post with you.

Fishkill

I have been and I will remain an intolerable, merciless, and unrestrained environmentalist. Ecodooms and pollution as well as contamination of our environment go on without limits. This latest news infuriated and distressed me again and again. Yes, I have written about this topic many times already. And also this post will not be the last!

Last November large "Imelda" fish went belly up in the Pasig River, while the surface of Bicol's Lake Buhi was nearly covered with dead 'tilapia". Good heavens! I stayed twice at Lake Sebu in South Cotabato and enjoy this wonderful fish three times a day! I was really sad to know that in Southern Metro Manila, large milk fish or "bangus" has being sold for as low as 10 Pesos per kilo as cases of fish kill were reported across Luzon in the wake of typhoon "Basyang" last year.

Fish kill has been occuring with increasing frequency all over the Philippines in recent years, and not just during the typhoon season. The phenomenon, which can leave tons of fish decimated, has become a regular reminder of the need to clean up the Philippines' waters. Fish kill has been occuring more often as toxic waste is dumped into the waters around the archipelago. Of course, pollution is also killing spawning grounds of marine life, resulting in a steadlily dwindling fish catch.

What are our local governments doing to protect the environment and avoid the horrific damage of the nation's food security?

I feel horrible reading such news from Australia, that scientists have discovered sea life hundreds of meters below the Great Barrier Reef, in an unprecedented mission to document species under threat of ocean warming. Can you imagine? Ancient sharks, swarms of crustaceans and a primitive shell-dwelling squid species were among the astonishing life?

Let's keep in mind: scientists have already warned long time ago that the attraction is a serious jeopardy, as global warming and chemical run off threaten to kill marine species and cause disease outbreaks.

Quo vadis, Mother Earth?

Blue Skies For Our Children

You might be surprised, but even as an expatriat living in the Philippines, I appreciate every single step of several people and institutions around me when it comes to the most important topic to take of our environment - to help our Mother Earth to survive.

One great example (among many others!) is the Blue Skies Alliance (Clean Air Initiative for Asian citizen). Carrying on the dream Soichiro Honda, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. announces in several advertisements and press releases, that they raise the bar even higher in preserving the environment. Honda Cars Philippines is proud to announce the A Blue Skies Alliance, a collaborative effort with the Philippine Climate Imperative, Clean Air Initiative-Asian Cities, Philippine Business for Environment, Department of Energy, Haribon Foundation, corporate fleet partners and over 14,000 Facebook supporters. 

Don't get me wrong: I am not doing promotion for HONDA. I am promoting people, who are intensifying efforts to signifiantly decrease harmful pollutans in the air.

Visit facebook.com/hondaphil and make a pledge to leave blue skies for our next generations.

Dengue - and no end!

While being back in Davao I received another interesting PNA-message from Iloilo City about predators' disappearances blamed for dengue rise - not ONLY in the Philippines.

An environmentalist lawyer, who has been assigned by the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Iloilo chapter to assist the city government in prosecuting violators of environmental laws, has cited the disappearance of natural predators as one major setback in the fight against the spread of dengue fever.

Attorney Daniel Dinopol said natural predators in the barangays - such as frogs, insects and specially spiders - are fast disappearing. These could have helped in the battle against dengue, he said.

Honestly, I am always glad and happy to find spiders and frogs in my wild natural tropical garden here in the Philippines.

Listen to this: Dinopol said the friendly insects and spiders are part of the natural environmental cycle that kill the dengue-carrying mosquitoes, especially in stagnant and water-clogged areas. The spiders spun its web to trap the flying mosquitoes while frogs and other insects prey on the mosquito larvae as their food.

The lawyer also said the situation is further aggravated by the unrestricted use of pesticide that also killed spiders and other environmental-friendly insects. The Department of Environment and Natural resources and the Department of Agriculture should take steps in restricting the killing of these friendly insects, especially the spiders.

And Here Comes the Rain...

Environment officials and experts in the Philippines have advised local governments to brace for strong storms and surging flood waters brought by the erratic La Nina weather phenomenon in the next few months, saying the signs point to a brutal rainy season. Wow, while writing this piece, it pours again and rains cats and downs here in Davao City... .

So let's expect the worst and be prepared the best we can. Here in the Philippines we will never forget the taifun "Ondoy" and many other mega storms in the past few years, which indeed had underlined the importance of disaster preparedness.

I wish and hope and pray (and not only me!) that the Philippino people and especially the local governments have now really realized that disasters and environment matters should no longer remain as abstract issues, as Neric Acosta, co-convenor of the La Nina Summit held at the Department of Agriculture stated several days ago in Manila.

La Nina is a weather phenomenon resulting from air-sea interaction that leads to colder ocean temperatures in the Pacific. We have to expect excessive monsoon rainfalls especially around September and October. 

Isn't it hurting to read the comment of Philippine Climate Change Commission Chief  Heherson Alvarez, saying the Philippines are not yet prepared for extreme weather brought by global warming!

Allow me to quote Acosta again: "If the United States has 911, we could set up a similar line!" Thanks God, in Davao City we have a 911!

GMA Network Goes Green

I said it already many, many times: I admire people, who go green taking care of our environment. Sure, also if those people are from the media. I have a lot of friends there - of course, also in GMA-Television-Network, which turns 60 this year. 

GMA is really going beyond business as it counts among its priorities the corporate social responsibility of promoting environmental awareness and conservation. In a press release, one could learn that today GMA perpetuates eco-friendly practices and projects to counter the effects of environment degradation. 

"GMA Network, as a media company, plays an important role helping save the environment, "said Carmencita G. Arce, consultant of the company's Corporate Affairs Division and one of the proponents of GMA's Network environmental advocacy program dubbed "Kapuso ng Kalikasan". GMA has implemented a number of "green initiatives, i.e. enegery and water conservations.

GMA Network is also conscious of proper waste disposal and has been implementing a waste management scheme that encourages employees to reduce, recycle,a and reuse office materials and supplies. Vry important - look at our surroundings, especially our rivers: they are full of trash. The drainage systems are also clogged by wastes of different kind.

Among any other things, of course, GMA-Network also produced special environmental documentaries like "Signos: Banta ng Nagbabagong Klima, which provided a comprehensive view of climate change. During the Earth Day Celebration, GMA Network produced a special "One Earth-One Journey", which showcased the essence of the Earth Day Celebration through music merged with visual art display that highlighted the importance of preserving our beloved Mother Earth.

Kudos to GMA-Network! Hopefully many other media institutions will follow!

Are We Prepared for the Next Floods?

Traffic one again crawled in several parts of Davao City, my new home since 1999, some days and nights ago, as heavy rain pured, inducted by a low-pressure area. The down pour brought relief to all of us who have sweltered through what our weather experts said was the country's hottest summer in a decade. Wow. Yes, it has been indeed!

But the rains also triggered the first flash floods reminding us  less than a year ago, claiming lives, destroyed properties and caused a lot of health problems especially in most parts of Luzon.

Have we forgotten Ondoy and Pepeng? Yes, and some Philippine columnists are very well in saying, that election fever soon overshadowed the trauma flooding spawned by above mentioned storms. 

I wish and hope and pray, that government executives (especially new-elected!) have presumably learned their lessons and are better prepared to deal with the new typhoon season. There is no reason to remain unprepared for a repeat of natural disasters. Davao City and its surroundings might remain lucky staying out of the typhoon belt. Heavy rain and landslides can also happened  here.

Earth Hour! You Wanna Join?

The Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) has marked Earth Hour 2010 on March 27, 2010 at 8:30 p.m., calling for the participation of 15 million Filipinos in more then 1,000 towns, cities and municipalities to take a symbolic stand against climate change.

Aside from the DOE, this year's Earth Hour will be jointly organized by WWF-Philippines, Green Army Network Foundation and SWITCH Movement.

"Earth Hour delivers a simple message, but a powerful one - the time to take action against the climate crisis is now. Individual actions, when put together can create impacts far greater than the action of any single government. Earth Hour shows that we can produce far greater results if we rally on causes that unite, rather than dwell on issues that divide," Philippine Energy Seceretary Aneglo Reyes said.

By the way, the Philippines accounts for only 0.29 percent of the world's energy-related CO2 emission - one of the lowest in South-East Asia.

Anyway - I wish and pray you, my dear readers, gonna join us on March 27, 2010 on 8.30 pm - for the sake of all following generations worldwide.

PLDT (Philippine Long Distance Telephone) is Saving the Environment

The PLDT is not only the nation's leading telephone company, it's also doing a lot things saving the environment. 

For example: PLDT joins PBSP Annual Reforestation Caravan. About 70 PLDT employee-volunteers, together with the partner farmer beneficiaries of Kantipla Ecosystem Enhancement and Protection Foundation (KEEP), planted more than 7,500 indigenous tree species such as Toog or Philippine Rosewood, Almaciga, Narra and Acacia or Rain Tree. The group hopes the trees will trap 33.75 tons of carbon dioxide and store 4,200 cubic meters of water in a year. Narra, for example is noted for its medicinal value. Narra leaves can be applied to heal ripening boils, ulcers, and prickly heat. It can be also used to treat diarrhea or dysentery.

Help for Laguna! The PDRF (Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation) clears Laguna de Bay of water lilies. It is for this reason the the newly-created foundation, which is headed by PLDT and Smart Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, went to Santa Cruz, Laguna, to offer help. One of the mandates of the PDR Foundation is to assist the government, in partnership with local government units and other civic organizations, to rebuild communities severely affected by the typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng and Santi last year 2009. The water lily project at the Laguna Bay is only one one of the many projects the foundation is lining up. More projects will be follow.