Much has already been said and much will still be said regarding the cutting of 182 trees in SM City Baguio, now called Project Save 182. Sadly, some see this as a done deal and environmentalists and concerned citizens can shout themselves hoarse and nothing will come out of it, at least that is what SM and City Officials would probably want everyone to believe.
Amusing? Funny? or something to really think about?
Maybe so… but then again maybe not. But it IS by keeping quiet that you make sure that those 182 trees do not have a chance, the city does not have a chance.
I am 40, I have never joined a rally all my life, not a very unusual thing, but for an alumni of UP Diliman that is unusual, (I cringe to admit) it speaks volumes of my apathy and indifference.
But last January 20, in an adopted city I found my voice and for the first time joined a rally. And what a rally that was!
From students
citizens
to nuns
colorful brothers and sisters around
all want to save our trees.
With MISSION, a group imagining a different world
together with artists creating a culture that supports it
It has been difficult to write for in the past months, I have hesitated and just forgot about writing, I just didn’t have the motivation to do so. But that rally gave me the reason to write again. I first heard about it through Mr. Bengwayan of A Tree A Day, the main proponent of the movement. A brave man who inspired more than 5,000 people to walk.
Because of him and his inspiration, I realized that it is by finding my voice and way back to writing again, I also give the chance for another to find his own voice and way.
Even at 40, its never too late to have your voice heard.
But doing so earlier doesn't hurt either
I have always thought SM City Baguio was the most beautiful SM, hands down. Why? Simply because of the pine trees. Nothing beats dining in SM with its view of the pine trees and the mountains. At night, dining al fresco even at Mang Inasal has its charm.
Now SM would want us to believe that a skygarden can replace a forest, that it IS the tourist destination of the City of Pines (without the pine trees).
That is NOT fun, that is funNY (if it weren’t so sad).
I have also thought SM City Baguio was one of the most ecologically progressive among all SM malls, with limited airconditioning, recycled water flushing system and even supporting our Climate Change Presentation of Shiela Castillo, one of the Philippine’s top experts in Climate change.
But recent developments is changing that perception. Can SM’s green advocacy merely just a marketing ploy to give them a little competitive edge? uhhmmm… Personally, I’m no expert here, but if that IS merely a positioning, it is a very dangerous one in a world that is waking up. Eco or green has very definite parameters that are very transparent, evident and obvious when you are NOT it.
Now that is NOT fun nor funny.
I would suggest you read more credible discussions on the issue so you can have your own opinion, you can read it in the Green Pen and Rappler via JP Alipio.
But what can we do about it? I am just a mother, a teacher, what can I do? Do we stand a chance against a corporate giant with billions in their pocket? Maybe if we start to rethink where we spend the pesos in our wallets, then they will start to understand and we will start to understand.
Here is our most highly respected Tatay Kidlat Tahimik (with the camera), showing us we can do something even at any age.
Not to promote activism for activism’s sake nor protest just to protest. I am imagining what would make this more fun?
Incense at a protest, only in Baguio, why not???! When its about the environment, what better way to show the spirit of conservation than doing it peacefully.
With fun and spontaniety!
hmm… what if we are to imagine another way of making our voices heard? what if we imagine another way of enjoying Baguio?
What if… In Baguio, it is actually more Fun outside SM.
Here’s just partial list why…
Bookstore: Mt. Cloud, National Bookstore in Abanao Square, CID stores
Grocery: Sunshine, Victoria’s, Tiongsan
Clothes: Tiongsan, Ukay-ukay
Furniture: Tiongsan Harrison and Mabini
Dining: OMG, Eve’s Garden, Cafe by the Ruins, Oh My Khan (mmmm…this is getting exciting!)
Cinema: Cinemateque
Family and Kiddie Fun activities: Camp John Hay’s Butterfly Farm, Eco Trail, Tree Top Adventure
The more I think about it, the more exciting it gets!
In the next few posts, I will be sharing with you the other side of Baguio. And maybe, people would really see why IT IS FUN IN BAGUIO.
Gabrielle Nieman, a German Waldorf teacher said, “You lose the right to complain when you don’t say NO”.
This is my way of saying NO to SM, saying NO to earthballing, saying NO to the parking lot. Saying YES to Baguio.
Live a life worth leaving to your children,
Theresa
“We did not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrowed it from our children”-anon
How about you? What are you saying YES to? Sign the petition here.
There will be a public hearing on January 30, 2012 at the Baguio City Hall. Let us all who can and who wants, join so that more would also find their voices again.
I’ve been remiss, I forgot to post this earlier. Mr. Jake Tan has been so instrumental on how my family views health and healing today. Because of him, my children have survived years of almost not taking antibiotics which is almost unheard of for Filipino children (actually for most children in general).
My sister-in-law asked if this was any good, she was not aware that the homeopathic medicines we were taking in the family were all made by him!
So this seminar is most certainly going to be good!
He has opened us to a whole new world on how we view our health, our body and nutrition. It’s a bit too late to get in, but you can get a copy of his book, be empowered and help heal your own family.
Healing Ourselves from Medicine
Tito Jake (as everyone calls him) is a fountain of wisdom and every time he speaks it is always an AHA moment. Here are two of the most valuable learnings my family was able to benefit from this past few years:
- Fever is good, if managed, fever has a function especially for children. It is the body’s way of releasing toxins and fighting diseases.
- Managing illnesses with no or minimal chemical drugs allows our body to become literally stronger because it now relies on itself and not on some outside drug to cure itself.
You may also contact me to reserve for the book “Healing Ourselves from Medicine” by Mr. Joaquin Tan.
Consciously create the life you’ll lead,
Theresa
With each visit to Bliss Cafe and being inspired by our recent Climate Change Presenter, Sheila Castillo-Tiangco, becoming a vegan is becoming so tempting.
I can just imagine, that for vegans, the only thing more satisfying than having sumptuous vegetarian meals, is having sumptuous organic vegetarian meals and for those who are even more informed, having sumptuous BIODYNAMIC meals is the best.
Growing your own food is one sure way to go organic
I’ve been introduced to Biodynamically farmed food a few years back, and it still is quite hazy to me until 2 years ago when I really immersed myself into this lifestyle. But still, it was a challenge to explain it until I had the actual farming experience of it this summer.
So what is the difference? Why is Biodynamic food better than ordinary organic food?
Converting hectares of farmland to Bio-dynamic agriculture would help sustain our country's food supply, but you can always start with your own backyard.
Biodynamic farming IS sustainable farming at its best because.
- It preserves and brings back the natural fertility of the soil. It recognizes and fully integrates the cycle of life and the inherent connectivity of each organism and activity to the whole so in the end, the delicate balance of nature is preserved.
- By taking care of the soil, we take care that nutrients stay in the soil – Organic farming, using non-chemical fertilizers and pesticides is a good step towards sustainable farming, however, if the balance of nature is ignored it still employs the principles of commercial farming and by doing so still depletes the soil of its nutrients and fertility is lost.
- We are (simply) what we eat – Because nutrients are in the soil, that is what our food absorbs and that is what we get.
Just start with what you eat the most or the easiest to grow and take it from there.
Biodynamic agriculture is another facet of the whole philosophy that Rodolf Steiner introduced more than a century ago that integrates the parts of man’s everyday life to the whole of humanity and the universe. (huh? I know that seems to be a bit too deep for an agricultural practice, but if you consider the effects of commercial farming wouldn’t you agree that that is what it takes to bring back what we lost and still losing?)
This year is actually the 150th anniversary of Rudolf Steiner. Yes, he is a contemporary of our own Jose Rizal, who knows, they may have been more than contemporaries.
We are lucky, (very lucky) that this is already available in our very own markets in Manila, Baguio and soon in Cebu as well as other parts of the country. Mainly because of one man, Nicanor Perlas.
Through his efforts, this was introduced in our country in the 1980’s with his very own commercial Biodynamic farm in U.P. Diliman the Ikapati farm. But though his farm there has ceased operations, a handful of farmers have continued to call to forward this agricultural practice/philosophy and the number is growing.
Today, we are even luckier because Mr. Perlas, is taking on the MISSION of bringing this to more farmers who would want to reinvent, rejuvenate and rebirth our lands.
We were so fortunate to spend 3 weeks here in Nick's place in Iloilo, enjoying organically grown vegetarian meals.
He will be conducting a five-day Bio-dynamic Agriculture Course in August 17 -21, 2011 in his training garden at the promising Integrative community at Gamot Cogon Institute in Iloilo.
For those who are still unaware why traditional chemical farming is not good for you, here are some reasons:
- Chemicals fertilizers depleted the natural fertility of the soil, it made plants vulnerable to pests, then pesticides are made to which pests grew resistant and the cycle continues to even deadlier poisons sprayed on to our food.
- Chemical farming contributes to 30% of all greenhouse gases that aggravates global warming.
- We are still what we eat – no matter how much you wash off the residue, how can you wash off what was already absorbed by what you eat?
You can not find a better mentor than Nicanor Perlas to train for Bio-dynamic farming. He is a graduated with the highest honors in Xavier University and the valedictorian of his class at the College of Agriculture. He has farmed for more than 40 years, trained thousands of farmers to shift from chemical farming. He was instrumental in the banning of more than 20 chemical fertilizers and pesticides in our country.
In recognition of the national and global impact of his work, Perlas was awarded the William F. Masterson S.J. Award as Outstanding Alumnus, The Outstanding Filipino (TOFIL) Award, the Global 500 Roll of Honor of the UN Environmental Program, and the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize.
For more info:
Nicanor Perlas – www.imaginalmission.net
Bio-dynamic Agriculture Course
You know you have good food when you grow and pick it yourself. We see manang happily picking our lunch every morning. What a sight to see!
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Course duration: 5 days August 17-21, 2011
Training Venue: Vidar Garden 2.0, National Sustainable Agriculture Training Center (NASATCEN), Gamot Cogon Institute (GCI) Integral Communit,y, Libongcogon, Iloilo, Philippines
Course Fee: P5,000 (board and lodging can be arranged at participant’s expense)
Course attendees’ profile: This course is relevant to a wide-range of backgrounds: consumers, home-makers, farmers, medical doctors and health practitioners, educators, development workers, agricultural officers and staff of local government units (LGUs), green entrepreneurs, planners, funders, bankers, medical doctors, and others.
Deadline for registration: August 5, 2011
Contact for registration: +63 917 538 8630
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Consciously create the life you lead,
Theresa
With a thriving economy still in question, Partido Kalikasan has even asked the possibility of a Low Carbon Economy, its feasibility and sustainability after a citizen’s consultation on how it is to take place.
I received an email invitation to the attend the final experts’ critiquing of the Citizen’s Consultancy on Low Carbon Economy for the Philippines It was conducted by the ECO Sustainability Institute and Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) in cooperation with local Partido Kalikasan organizations in Cagayan de Oro, Cebu and Benguet in behalf of Aksyon Klima.
It looked very interesting considering the topic and the huge task that it seems to be proposing. Then upon seeing the following personalities as the panel presenters for their own respective fields, it looks to be a very interesting indeed.
Ecological Perspective — Dr. Angelina Galang executive director of the Environmental Institute of the Miriam College
Economic Perspective — Dr. Sixto K Roxas of Maximo T. Kalaw Institute for Sustainable Development (MTKISD)
Cultural Perspective — Mr. Nicanor Perlas of Movement of Imaginals for Sustainable Societies through Initiatives, Organization and Networking (MISSION)
Tech Perspective — Ms. Neth Dano of ETC Group
I tried to get in touch with Mr. Roy Cabonegro, the Secretary of the Board for the Eco Sustainability Institute to ask more about the event, unfortunately I would have to wait for the results which will be available online.
But for those who can and are interested to attend, here are the details:
22 July 2011 (Friday) 8am to 12nn
Balay Kalinaw, University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman, Quezon City
Confirmations to 0999 7541637 or email roycabonegro@yahoo.com
Yes, having first read the title, I was taken aback by the audacity of even asking that question, but after some thought, maybe it is about asking huge questions that we will get huge solutions. After all, its becoming more often that I hear “the right answers come from asking the right questions”. What do you think?
Consciously Create the life you’ll lead
Theresa
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