By Manuel L. Morato
Allow me to give my personal opinion on what’s more important to put our attention to: “Climate Change” or “Public Health Challenges?”
I believe health must take center stage.
While we are told that Climate Change has gotten more attention at enormous expense with little success to show for decades that Climate Change (although we must be aware of it) is a unique problem we have to face as our planet ages; industrialization, environmental abuses, natural tragedies and calamities… much have not changed. As I once mentioned, since the time of Noah, we continued to experience never ending tragedies, natural calamities, floods, bush fires, low and high temperature.
Of course, we all desire to free our respective countries from untoward incidents each time calamities strike.
While the campaign to be aware of Climate Changes continues, not much have been achieved. With all the resources spent to combat atmospheric changes, industrialization and development on each community must also be done with restraint and control for turning our community into asphalt jungles which is contrary to a healthy environment.
The Laguna Lake Development Authority or LLDA is a very important office. Laguna Lake (or Laguna de Bay) is the principal source of water for Metro Manila and other areas. The lake must not be made the dumping of dirty sewage water, especially from highrise buildings, restaurants, malls and other business establishments.
With the rise of tall buildings for condominiums and offices, it is important for the LLDA to be vigilant for the entire Metro Manila area could someday be without potable water. The importance of Laguna Lake under the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) must be properly managed.
Dams are only an alternative to the important role the LLDA plays in seeing to it that the Laguna Lake is protected from dirty wastes dumped from sewages of Metro Manila and neighboring provinces.
Dams wait for rain. In time of drought, dams’ rainwater reserves are diminished immeasurably. That is why former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her term signed a contract with a Belgian company to dredge the Laguna Lake to keep it alive and well for it had silted so much; but it was cancelled by the administration that followed.
Just to prove how important the Laguna Lake Development Authority is, President Ferdinand Marcos created the LLDA and freed it from the clutches of local governments. Cases against violators do not go to the normal courts that are most often than not subjugated by the Local Government officials.
Cases lodged by LLDA against violators are immediately forwarded and filed and elevated to the Court of Appeals, to free it from pressure of local government officials who most often than not abuse their powers. President Marcos foresaw that dams are expensive projects. Laguna de Bay is the answer for the supply of water in Metro Manila and neighboring areas. It’s source of supply is immeasurable. China Sea supplies the rivers and the lakes through the streams coming from the sea. Salt water is filtered by the Pasig River and salt sea water becomes fresh water entering the lake. Pang believe it or not ito, pero I will explain in my next column the natural process it goes through, based on my recollection and informations gathered.
To continue, what I am leading to is to cause awareness on which of the two most talked about issues now must come first: “Climate Change or “Coronavirus”?
Climate Change to me is an important problem to address. But let us agree that Public Health Challenges must come first. It must take center stage in every country for it is more deadly when viruses infect a community/a country and the entire world. It immediately spreads far and wide, killing so many people.
I much rather invest on public health challenges than “Climate Change” organizations freaking out about it. I really cannot see how “Climate Change” could be controlled when the nature of our planet have had natural calamities since its creation. “Es parte de la naturaleza,” as the Spaniards would say. It’s part of nature where the wind blows, when the volcanoes will erupt, when a cyclone would strike, etc… It’s the atmospheric changes our lands are naturally subjected to.
On both issues regarding “Climate Change” and “Public Health Challenges,” lack of sanitation is involved. On “Climate Change,” it’s the way our planet was designed or created. If and when the natural system of nature is disturbed or abused, there are consequences to pay. On the other hand, Public Health is a more important challenge to address as most of the time, it’s the people that cause viruses to spread and can be referred to as “man-made.” Eating wild animals, they say, had caused the health challenges we are facing now. It is said that eating bats (Paniki) caused the coronavirus. What the hell caused those people to eat “exotic” foods? That’s venturing to dangerous territories. There are edible animals, but there are dirty animals that are poisonous or create dangerous viruses.
As I have mentioned in a column before, SARS, Mers-Cov, African Swine Fever, the plague, AIDS, and many diseases must be addressed. These are not beyond human intervention, unlike the “Climate Change” issue, it has outside intervention which we, humans, cannot easily fathom nor control.
Tight control must be exercised on our people as far as sanitation is concerned in our communities. Most often than not, our cities, towns and communities are dirty and unsanitary. These are man-made by bad habits. The National Government as well as Local Government Units down to the Barangays must see to it that every person is aware about cleanliness and hygiene to avoid diseases.
For comments and suggestions email at mlmorato@yahoo.com
