Why The Philippines Needs an Environmentalist President

TREASURES abound in every corner of the Philippines. From the white sand beaches lining various islands to the teeming biodiversity in our forests and seas, our country is truly blessed with priceless gems.

However, with climate change happening across the world and the current state of Philippine environment, there is a lot of work that needs to be done in order to save our home before it’s too late.

Air pollution in the Philippines

Air pollution remains a huge problem in the country’s highly developed cities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual average of air pollutants in Manila is at 17 micrograms per cubic meter — a staggering 70 percent higher than the recommended safe level of 10 micrograms per cubic meter.

Globally, indoor and outdoor pollution are attributed to a variety of non-communicable diseases such as lung cancer, stroke, heart disease, and chronic respiratory diseases. In the Philippines, one out of four deaths are linked to air pollution.

“Air pollution continues to pose a dangerous threat to the health of the Filipinos, especially those living in urbanized communities,” said Dr. Gundo Weiler, WHO representative to the Philippines.

Marine pollution in the Philippines

We have always prided ourselves for our tropical bounties of countless beaches and crystalline waters. But beneath the surface, marine life has been suffering for years. The deterioration of coral reefs in Philippine waters is another matter that has alarmed experts and environmentalists.

In a nationwide coral reef survey conducted in 2015 to 2017, none of the 166 coral sampling stations in 31 provinces across the country were classified in the “excellent” category. A total of 74 stations were considered “poor”, while 80 stations were tagged as “fair”.

The impacts of climate change and the effects of human activities on marine coastal ecosystems are, no doubt, the main culprits. However, if we do not take proper steps to address the issue and alleviate the devastating effects of climate change, our environment will certainly plummet into a horrifying state.

Inevitably, the effects and consequences will be felt not just by poor fisherfolk but by people who depend on tourism and other forms of livelihood too.

“The impact of climate change is far reaching, and we need to address it at the root cause and extract accountability from carbon majors. Despite contributing less to climate causing gases, we are feeling the brunt of what the global north and carbon majors are doing,” said Vince Cinches, Oceans Campaigner for Greenpeace Philippines.

“In order to stop this, a cohesive global movement of people is needed. Our reefs, seagrass, mangroves, and other organisms in our seas are feeling the heat, but a healthy ocean is a solution to climate change, and we need to keep it that way by creating a large network of no-take marine protected areas,” he added.

Air and marine pollution are just two of the biggest environmental problems we face today. In fact, we’re barely scratching the surface, as issues with deforestation and a growing list of endangered species also pervade our everyday lives.

An environmentalist leader

With these environmental concerns that have befallen us, we need a government that will make it their top-priority mission to save our surroundings.

Every few years or so, come election season, innumerable promises are blown into the wind. We’re so familiar with the buzz words “political will” and yet we don’t see enough of it, specially when it comes to caring for our environment. If we truly value our islands’ treasures, perhaps it’s high time we have a leader who will fight with all of his or her might for our natural wealth.

We need a national leader who cares about the amount of plastic waste we are producing as a nation, who will work towards a healthier and cleaner ocean, and who will serve as role model to our local leaders as well as to every person in urban and rural communities.

We should soon elect a president who will consistently inspire and educate people on ways we could save our environment from meaningless destruction. We must aim for a leader who will stand firm on environmental issues and who will ensure balance between the preservation of nature and our nation’s economic progress.

Nevertheless, there is only so much one person could do. Sure, we need an environmentalist president to lead the way, but in actually solving our country’s environmental woes, each one of us also bears responsibility for taking the necessary steps towards cleaner air, a greener earth, and a healthier sea.

This is our home, and we are all accountable for what happens to it.