Kim’s Dream Orlan Ravanera
Climate Change: Now a Fearful Reality
Illegal Logging, and Illegal Mining in Davao Region
With the recent onslaught of environmental catastrophe in the Davao Region that has displaced some 3,510 families which has been attributed to non-stop illegal logging, and illegal mining, it is puzzling to note that our national leaders such as in the Legislative Department are so concerned with the glaringly fake “people’s initiative” to amend the 1987 Constitution to prolong their stranglehold to power. What our leaders should be foremostly concerned of now is the threat to our very own survival which is climate change, which is looming as a fearful reality as Mother Earth is being sacrificed by the rich and powerful oligarchs to the altar of greed and profit to maximize profits.
Flashfloods in Davao Region
Climate change is no longer an alarming possibility but has become a fearful reality. Because of this painful truism, thousands of concerned scientists worldwide have set the doomsday clock to just “one minute before midnight,” which means humanity is now about to fall into the precipice of its 6th extinction. No way can that be stopped as -the so-called “Masters of Mankind,” the powerful corporations and financial institutions known as climate change deniers, are sacrificing Mother Earth to the altar of greed and profit. In fact, 2 out of three Americans are utterly disregarding climate change, led by no less than former Republic President, Donald Trump. Thus, the modern-day American Imperialism which is in control of more than one-half of the world’s wealth and resources is giving high veneration to the profit motive whose slogan can be summarized in two words, MARKET AND TARGET. Market means, these Masters believe that MARKET KNOWS BEST and protecting the environment and improving the quality of life of the people are not in their mindset. By TARGET means, as the most powerful military force in the world, countervailing force against their interest means, you will become a target of attack, like what they are doing now in Gaza, Palestine.
The oligarchs and these global corporations want to amend our Constitution to allow foreigners to own vast tracts of land especially here in Mindanao. For these so-called “Masters of Mankind,” land is the number one capital and these oligarchs not only want to prolong their stranglehold to power but to welcome foreign investors to own our land which is prohibited in the 1987 Constitution. People’ s initiative should zero-in on disallowing corporate globalization which is now creating so much havoc in our country controlled by the Modern-Day American Imperialism. The Filipino People should now collectively oppose the exploitation of our resources and of our cheap labor. These corporations are entering our country with nothing and then will leave with everything.
Palm oil Plantations
This is well-exemplified by the AGUMIL EXPERIENCE when in 2007 a corporation called AGUMIL entered Palawan, encouraged the Indigenous Peoples to convert their ancestral domain into massive Palm Oil Plantation, borrowed from Land Bank by the hundreds of millions of pesos and when these IPs were buried in debt, AGUMIL left after raking all their profits, leaving Palawan with IPs “baon na sa utang,” the reason why so many of the IPs opted to become violent extremists. YAN PO ANG DAHILAN!
Irene Khan/ United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression
Indeed, the UN Special Rapporteur, Madam Irene Khan is correct to stop NFT-ELCAC. We better uproot the causes of insurgency which is social injustice and non-stop exploitation of the poor.
As declared by concerned environmentalists, “Disaster can be averted only if we change the way we live. This crisis has been caused by our modern way of life, which despite its considerable achievements, is fatally flawed. We are beginning to realize that the way we live now, for all its manifold benefits, not only inhibits human flourishing but threatens the very survival of our species.” Thus, it has become imperative to change not only our lifestyle but our whole belief systems. We have ransacked nature, treating it as a mere resource, because over the last 500 years, we have cultivated a worldview that is very different from that of our forefathers.
How did ancient civilization then treat nature. May I share the Western Inscription bannering oneness with nature: ‘HEAVEN IS MY FATHER AND EARTH IS MY MOTHER, AND EVEN SUCH A SMALL CRATURE AS I FINDS AN INTIMATE PLACE IN THEIR MIDST. THEREFORE, THAT WHICH EXTENDS THROUGHOUT ALL THE UNIVERSE, I REGARD AS MY BODY AND THAT WHICH DIRECTS THE UNIVERSE, I CONSIDER MY NATURE. ALL PEOPLE ARE MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND ALL THINGS ARE MY COMPANIONS. ONE WHO DISOBEYS THE PRINCIPLES OF HEAVEN VIOLATES VIRTUE. ONE WHO DESTROYS HUMANITY IS A ROBBER. ONE WHO PROMOTES EVIL LACKS MORAL CAPACITY. BUT ONE WHO PUTS HIS MORAL NATURE INTO PRACTICE AND BRINGS HIS PHYSICAL EXISTENCE IN COMPLETE FULFILMENT CAN MATCH HEAVEN AND EARTH.”
This poem will put in clear categorical tern our ancient bond with nature which must be restored if humanity must survive. Know therefore our very essence which is CONSCIOUSNESS that is connected to the Unseen Formless Being, the Creator.
####
