Between 70 and 75 percent of the earth’s surface is covered with it. But only 3 percent is fresh. Sixty percent of the human body is made up of it. It is part of the commons yet three billion people don’t have enough of it.
What is it? The answer is, of course, our quickly vanishing life-giving resource – pure, uncontaminated water. The right to water is a basic human right and defined as “the right of everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable and physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses” (General Comment No. 15, Committee of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights).
On July 28, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognized the human right to water and sanitation and acknowledged that clean drinking water and sanitation are essential to the realization of all human rights. The resolution calls upon states and international organizations to provide financial resources, help capacity-building and technology transfer to help countries, in particular developing countries, to provide safe, clean, accessible and affordable drinking water and sanitation for all.
Water is precious. Without it we cannot hope to exist, but do we value it? Are we grateful for the functions it serves us? We take for granted that it is a “vital nutrient to the life of every cell.” It “ acts first as a building material. It regulates our internal body temperature by sweating and respiration.
The carbohydrates and proteins that our bodies use as food are metabolized and transported by water in the bloodstream. It assists in flushing waste mainly through urination.
It acts as a shock absorber for brain, spinal cord and fetus. It forms saliva and lubricates joints, and helps deliver oxygen all over the body, among countless other ways.”
https://water.usgs.gov/edu/propertyyou.html
We are aware that a global water crisis will happen, as it is already happening in some parts, if we continue to deplete our forests, destroy wetlands and pollute water bodies. But sadly, our detachment from nature has led us to a state of denial that we need it – badly.
As we celebrated World Water Day on March 22, we are reminded that exactly ten years have passed since RA 9275, the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 was passed. Yet, the law has not been fully implemented by the Executive Department. The National Climate Change Action Plan made water sufficiency a basic priority and clearly recognized the serious enforcement of RA 9275.
The Aquino administration’s appalling love for polluting and water-guzzling energy projects such as coal power plants reveals a continuing and most unfortunate lack of harmonization of sustainability and climate adaptation policies and prioritizing the protection of the people’s basic rights to water.
* * *
The past week provided dizzying but fulfilling moments and glimpses in the journey of training law students to be competent, ethical and socially responsive leaders. A big source of pride for Cebu, two graduates of the University of San Carlos (USC) and University of Cebu (UC) placed 5th and 6th, respectively, in the Bar examinations and there are additional lawyers in the roster of Philippine Bar members. Congratulations to all the successful candidates and their institutions, with special mention of our student, the 6th placer, Manuel Elijah “Jack” Sarausad, of UC College of Law, the third Bar topnotcher in the law school’s eleventh year of existence.
Jack is humble, soft-spoken, a good family man and has a heart for public service. He was in Medellin helping orient typhoon Yolanda survivors on the Cash Transfer Program when the exam results were released.
The UC Basic Legal Ethics classes also organized last week two events focused on Judicial and Bar Reforms: The Structural Integrity of Courthouses and the Bar Examinations Decentralization Program. This brought out the best of the students’ talents, leadership skills and in finding solutions.
Hopefully the activities reinforced the belief that with a definite road map, persistence and collaboration, their personal and professional goals can be achieved.
We thank our resource speakers for contributing in the enriching discussions, led by Supreme Court Administrator, Justice Midas Marquez, who flew in from his hectic work in Manila. We are also grateful to the other speakers for sharing their time and thoughts.
To our students, we are proud of you. Indeed, success is a journey, not a destination.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
