Run but protect the environment too

As the cliché says, “you can run but you can’t hide.”

You can run for 3K, 5K, 30K or maybe for 100K, but will it resolve the
problem of garbage in the esteros? Will running resolve the more than
half a century-old problem of urban poor living beside the esteros?

By registering and paying one hundred and fifty pesos (P150) to run
and help the organizers clean the esteros, isn’t this like saying that
by running, you can solve rampant land conversion of big haciendas or
farm lands into malls, golf courses, plush subdivisions etc. that
displaces farmers and pushes them into becoming urban poor settlers?

Besides, garbage in the esteros will not disappear if the more than
one thousand illegal dumpsites above these esteros are not closed and
households and establishments continue to give their wastes to the
dump trucks that bring their wastes to the dumps. Clean the esteros
and later you will find garbage again brought by the rain water from
the heaps and mounds of garbage from the market dumpsites, sidewalk
dumpsites, and Payatas-size or even bigger dumpsites.

The shanties of urban poor settlers near the esteros can be demolished
any time by the local governments and they can be relocated in a
far-away place near the mountains but after a few months they will be
back in the city to work in the jobs they left after the demolition or
relocation. The reason, there is no job in the relocation site. No
little piece of land even to till.

Nasa Maynila pa rin ang maraming “oportunidad.” Sabi ng isang
karpinterong biktima ng sunog at bahang Ondoy sa Pasig na nakilala ko
na inilipat sa isang bayan sa Timog Katagalugan:

“Sa pinagdalhan sa aming relokasyon, napakaliit ng lugar. ‘Di kami
magkasyang lima sa aming pamilya. Hirap pa nga ang bagong silang na
apo ko. Walang kuwarto, ang mga bubong ng mga nakahilerang bahay ay
pinagdugtong-dugtong para hindi daw madugtungan ng ikalawang palapag,”
paliwanag ng karpintero.

“Wala kahit kapirasong matatamnan. Kahit sana gulay ay puwede kaming
magtanim at puwede na naming pang-ulam. Malapit pa kami sa kalbong
bundok. Nakakatakot baka gumuho ang lupa kung may malakas na ulan.
Marami na ngang nasirang bahay dito noong nakaraang bagyong Basyang,”
lahad pa ng karpintero.

Mainam ang pagtakbo sa kalusugan lalo na kung malinis sana ang hangin
sa lugar na pinagdarausan ng mga okasyon tulad ng Takbo para sa
Kalikasan. Ngunit waring ilang ulit nang ginawa ang ganitong mga uri
ng pagtakbo ngunit nananatili pa ring marumi ang estero. May mga
nakapuna pa nga na ang mga pinagtakbuhan mismong mga daan ay nagkalat
ang mga plastic na bote ng energy drinks, sachet, candy wrappers, etc.
na dagdag din tiyak sa basurang bahagi ng layunin ng “Takbo.”

The key word is PROTECT. We have to protect Mother Earth at all costs
even if it means laying down our lives for her. Government must once
and for all solve the problems due to more than 1,000 dumpsites which
are now all illegal under Republic Act 9003; large-scale logging,
mining, and quarrying; destruction of biodiversity among others to
prove that it is sincere in bringing about genuine reform in
Philippine society.

Posted in: Run to protect Environment