The last time I set foot in Tony Oposa’s “Paradise on Earth’ was five or so years ago, before Supertyphoon Yolanda a.k.a. Haiyan destroyed, or to borrow Tony’s word “erased’ the structures and Bantayan Island, for that matter.
The School of the SEA, now known as the Sea and Earth Advocates of Culture, Arts and Music for the Planet, was the living witness of countless exposure trainings and events that opened the minds and especially the hearts of the citizenry to care more and deeply for Mother Earth.
My recent visit brought back lovely memories of the past.
It was the venue for the first experiential Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) Program for Lawyers in 2006, the first activity that the University of Cebu College of Law had when I was its MCLE Program Director. Lawyers had fun learning not just about the many environmental statutes this country has but in the crucial roles of the various interconnected natural systems that support us and life itself. They snorkeled and marveled at the multi-colored coral garden and the fish and resources they host, visited the scenic mangroves forest, and even the piggery farm where animal wastes were transformed to power the facility. They hopefully went home with a different nurturing perspective for our life support systems.
I also remembered that we were at the event which had the marine sanctuary fronting the Sea Camp named after the late Jojo de la Victoria. He was the determined and courageous Bantay Dagat Project Director and Cebu City’s market administrator who was assassinated near his home ten years ago on April 13. At his funeral, Tony vowed to continue the fight to save our oceans, more specifically the overfished Visayas Sea where Jojo was very much a part in the battle to fight illegal fishing.
So many stunning developments have happened since then that I am sure Jojo would be smiling from where he is. Tony was honored with the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2009 to add to the many forms of recognition bestowed on him. He has taken so many path-breaking and never-ending initiatives, both here and in foreign shores, and most often, single-handedly. Yet, he is still too humble to acknowledge that these could not have happened without boundless passion stirring every cell in his being eternally pushing for the great unknown, just so each of us can deliver an ecologically viable tomorrow that every child deserves to have.
On April 22, 2016, minutes before its inauguration, I felt most privileged to set foot at the Sea Camp’s Art Center for the Earth. Immediately, one feels the vibrancy and the positive aura that envelopes the area. The framed Cebu Daily News Page one news on April 22, 2009 that bannered Tony’s award from the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation caught my eye. It was exactly 7 years to the day, and I was in the place and with him and dear environmental advocacy colleagues celebrating one of the extraordinary Earth Day celebrations ever.
After all, it is not everyday that one witnesses the permanent sealing off of a vast environmentally critical area, a fresh water wetland, privately owned, that will soon become a protected bird sanctuary and nature reserve, forever safe from destructive human hands. The owner? Of course, who else but Tony Oposa!
We hope that, by such a selfless act and leadership by example, Tony will be able to encourage more to follow by declaring more areas beyond the grasp of greedy humans.
It was doubly significant that those in the ceremonial closure were members of the Ombudsman’s National Environmental Action Team (NEAT) led by the Environmental Ombudsman himself and Overall Deputy Ombudsman, Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon and Acting Special Prosecutor, Gerard A. Mosquera. He was joined by the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas, Paul Elmer M. Clemente and the Deputy Ombudsman for Mindanao, Rodolfo Elman, and the dedicated staff of the Office of the Ombudsman in the country. They were in Sea Camp definitely not by chance.
For those in the public sector who know the mandates of one of the most credible institutions that we are proud to have, be prepared to do your job well, especially in the duty to maintain a healthful and balanced ecology.
I am happy that NEAT, this time at the Ombudsman’s Office no less, has been resurrected. I am after all a product of NEAT in the glorious days when the Integrated Bar of the Philippines took on the duty of protecting our fragile ecosystems to heart.
From Bantayan, I proceeded to be part of the Inquirer’s famous Read-Along session as reader and had great moments with the enthusiastic children of the employees of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District in learning about critical water issues and the role of each of us to protect and save water and protect trees as after all water is life. The energy emanating from the children was infectious.
The special day was capped by a welcome dinner hosted by no less than former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. and Mrs. Virginia Davide, for one of the warmest human beings one can meet, Winnie Carruth of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law.
I went to sleep that night grateful for the privilege of a life so enriched beyond measure by trailblazing and courageous stewards of Mother Earth. Thank you.
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.
