LOGARTA
Sa Mata sa Kababayen-an” the LAW Center, Inc. TV program at the Cebu Catholic Television Network hosted various groups who shared their advocacy for nurturing of the environment. This year when it celebrates its centennial, UP Cebu hosted the Earth Day Festival over the weekend.
Women’s groups, visual and music artists, farmers, students and other earth enthusiasts participated with their contributions to bring to life their earth loving messages. The visual artists prepared the poster which declared: Plastics Hunungon, Kalibutan Amomahun. The musically inclined provided a mini-concert.
The RETAZO women came with their attractive, earth-friendly, women-friendly products. As we previously mentioned they produced backpacks, slingbags, cosmetic cases and many others from the scraps of a German furniture maker. While this was a zero waste undertaking, at the same time it was a woman empowering endeavor which built the economic independence of the producers. Annabelle and Japamala showed filmstrips of the women and their wares. They declared that these were attractive both in appearance and in price.
Farmers came with organic fruits and vegetables. Youths came with plastic straws recycled into pencil cases. The guests informed viewers that in the campus there has been an effort to phase out the use of drinking straws. Both Annabelle and Japamala agree that Earth-consciousness leads to good health. For instance a diet of vegetables and fruits can be very nutritious. The rights of not only animals but also plants were asserted in the festival.
The females emphasized that an earth-friendly lifestyle starts at home. The non-use of plastic can be trying for a family but will come easy for children who have been doing this from the very beginning. The consistent classification of household items leading to zero waste requires a lot of patience and persistence. They invited earth-loving modeling both at home and in school. Program anchor, Atty. Virginia Palanca-Santiago called on all to have the courage to call the attention of those who carelessly dispose of wastes
especially plastics.
Sr. Sandra declared: As Christians we should actively nurture Mother Nature for She is a Gift from our God. Her closeness to the earth began when having experienced the blasting of a mountain to mine its treasures, she felt extremely violated, as though she had been raped. This led her to lead organized activities to oppose action destroying the integrity of creation. She felt that women are just the right people to care and defend the environment for in their homes they have been raising all kinds of plants. This confirms Agriculture Undersecretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat’s statement that females are ever present in all phases of agriculture in the Philippines; yet their role is underappreciated.
Mel Yan came in to discuss the archdiocesan effort to respond to the Earth challenge. At first this was an act of reparation for trees uprooted for a church construction. But this has now been expanded to growing 500,000 trees as part of the celebration of the arrival of Christianity. All the parishes of the archdiocese will participate in this tree nurturing. A group led by Mel Yan will be visiting the various parishes to invite everyone to assume an active role in such an earth caring program.
The Legal Alternatives for Women Center, Inc. is working on a full-blown program to join this activity. The most active participants will be the women victims of violence, many of whom have been taking care of home gardens. Destruction of any aspect of the environment affects families and women the most. Firstly, they are exposing the various groups and people engaged in Earth Protection. Then, they will engage into a deeper analysis of the issue. They are open to working together with other groups.