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| credits to |
It
seems that mermaids do exist. Ms. Anna Oposa, down-to-earth, charismatic and
passionate for the environment, is one of them. I had seen her before, back in
Freshman year when she came to our English 1 class and discussed her essay,
“Anna Oposa Loves Loves Loves UP.” A crafty and clever writer, she definitely
wasn’t a personality easy to forget—her candid presence and witty catchphrases
could capture anyone’s attention (plus, her name rhymes with itself). I
remember her mentioning that at that time she wasn't sure what she wanted to do
as a graduate, that she didn't know what to do with her degree in English
Studies. After that lecture I never heard from her again.
When
I saw her name posted on the wall, I was expecting to attend discussion on
literature or creative writing, but was pleasantly surprised when Ms. Oposa
said she would be talking to us about marine biodiversity. So many
worlds away from English Studies, I thought to myself, but I kept quiet and
listened as she dived into an informative discussion of marine life,
environmental issues and raising awareness through her foundation, Save
Philippine Seas.
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| credits to |
In
her talk she mentioned the extensive effects of pollution and climate change to
our seas and their inhabitants—poisoned turtles, dying coral reefs, dwindling
specie populations—and this does not yet account for the additional damage
human actions have induced, such as the harmful results of dynamite fishing,
illegal hunting, and unregulated business practices. Philippine coastal regions
especially in the areas of Batangas and Zambales have shown an increase in
water temperature amounting to 3%, which according to the team which conducted
the research, is enough to cause coral bleaching, which in extreme forms can
cause the death of coral reefs and damage to the ecosystems residing therein.[1] Such effects have let to the
destruction of numerous underwater habitats, naming these areas as dead “marine
zones.” I did additional research and found that such issue has caught the
attention of the UN, which has stated that unless mitigated, this phenomenon
poses serious threats to countries such as the Philippines, which depend on its
oceans and seas as a source of food and livelihood.[2]
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| credits to http://walarge.com/ |
Aside
from this, one of the interesting insights I realized was how institutions such
as Manila Ocean Park, which were made to foster appreciation and respect for
marine life among its patrons, have been doing poorly in carrying out its
purpose. These institutions, for the very nature of their business, have the
capacity to influence our perception on marine wildlife. Yet despite this,
several park practices have propagated misconceived ideas about these sea
creatures to the public. An example would be Subic’s Ocean Adventure and its
diving with sharks experience entitled, “Shark Attack,” which immediately
conveys that sharks are dangerous, uncontrollable, and perhaps even deadly. It
is acts like this that Ms. Oposa so actively advocates against: the
mis-education of Filipinos with regards to marine biodiversity. She is pushing
for people to see marine life in a positive light, to propagate proper ideas
and notions, and to spread informed awareness to the all.
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| credits to http://kazdraws.blogspot.com/ |
Marine
wildlife conservation has long been an environmental concern, yet seems to be
pressing only to those with direct interest in the subject matter. It’s rather
ironic how our country is hailed as the world’s center of biodiversity, yet
only a minority of the population are fighting to preserve this. What’s even
more unfortunate is that in many cases, organizations like Save Philippine Seas
struggle to collaborate with local government authorities in furthering their
cause, for reasons ranging from lack of interest to conflict of interest.
Ideally, this should be a joint effort between the two.
I
admire Ms. Oposa for her bravery and passion, for it takes plenty of courage to
keep pushing for change, to never settle until progress is made. I wish, for
many reasons, more of us could be like her, because it’s her kind of attitude
that will initiate change in our society. It’s her kind of drive that can
pressure our leaders to deliver results. It’s her kind of passion that can
transform love of country into tangible acts of nationalism. If Ms. Anna Oposa
can give marine life its own voice, then how hard is it really to raise our
own? I am glad that Ms. Oposa has found an avenue to spread her message.
Hopefully the same can happen for us so we may likewise advocate for our own
causes and as young leaders, inspire others so that together we may contribute
positively to our society, our environment and country.
[1] Quismundo,
Tarra.
"http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20110205-318643/Climate-change-is-harming-PH-marine-life." Inquirer 2
May 2011, n. pag. Web. 23 Feb. 2014. <http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20110205-318643/Climate-change-is-harming-PH-marine-life>.
[2] Alave,
Kristine. "Marine dead zones to put Philippines at risk—UN Read more:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/23761/marine-dead-zones-to-put-philippines-at-risk—un
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