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Saturday, September 26, 2009

WATER FOR YOU AND ME: How Far Can We Go?

by Dennis Lacsam


It was on March 25, 2001 when Julia Roberts was proclaimed Best Actress in the Academy Awards for her portrayal as Erin Brockovich, an unemployed single mother of three who fought for the world’s largest utility for dumping 370 million gallons of hexavalent chromium into unlined ponds in Hinkley, California, a deadly toxic waste that poisoned the residents in the area. For Julia Robert’s fans, it was one of her most remarkable performances that brought her to Hollywood’s super stardom. But for millions of movie aficionados who have been touched by Erin Brockovich’s life and struggles for clean water, it was indeed heroic and humanitarian.

Ladies and gentlemen, today, we have reached consciousness and apprehensions that man on earth must instantly stop his destruction on any body of water around him for water is truly a valuable natural resource – the uppermost indisputable need of every living creature on the planet. Its importance cannot be estimated for it is an indispensable element to life and society – a main source of nourishment and energy, a raw material for productive activities, a way of transport, and a determinant factor for the preservation of the ecological balance.

Water is a fundamental part of our lives. Human survival is dependent on water. The water we drink literally becomes us since such a large percentage of our bodies is water. We need plenty of fresh water to stay healthy. Aside from aiding in digestion and absorption of food, water regulates body temperature, carries nutrients and oxygen to cells, and removes toxins and other wastes. It also lubricates our joints and protects tissues and organs, including the spinal cord from shock and damage and conversely, lack of water can be the cause of many ailments.

Plants and animals can’t live without freshwater, because all organisms are made up mostly by water. A tree for example is about 60% water by weight and most animals are about 50-65% water.

No industries will survive without water’s help for it is used as a raw material coolant, a solvent, a transport agent, and as a source of energy. It turns the turbines of hydroelectric plants that produce electricity for light, heat and power for factories and communities. Thousands more liters of water are involved in the manufacture of plastics, glass and fabric components. It seems infinite to detail its dynamism in our life, in our environment, in our existence.

For thousands of years, humanity has been aware of the importance of water. In Rome, a couple of thousand years ago, it was considered to be one of the biggest crimes to pollute the water. Unfortunately, a few of us deem the importance until it is in limited supply. Man seems to destroy water through his greed for what he believes to be his personal survival.

In our advanced and modern society, it is effortless for us to forget how completely we depend on it. We believe that we have to sacrifice everything including the water of this planet we inhabit in order to continue the progress and our so-called welfare. We are rapidly destroying water's life-giving capacities. Increased population, industrial wastes and agricultural chemicals are contaminating our water sources. We have unfortunately lost all respect and deference for water and Mother Nature. Water, the very lifeblood of humans, has been neglected and tainted to the limits. Deadly pesticides and other harmful chemicals contaminate our watersheds. The seas and the great rivers that are domicile to teeming water creatures have become a dumping ground of man's toxic wastes.

Today, some 1.5 billion people live without access to drinking water. Nearly 2 billions do not have access to proper sanitation. According to the World Health Organization, 30,000 people die each day from drinking polluted water, 6,000 of which are children. The planet's water resources are becoming increasingly fragile due to over consumption and pollution. No wonder why water is a prime commodity these days. The proliferation of distilled water neighborhood vendors and the popularity of bottled water are testaments to this problem.

But, have we noticed that endless serious campaigns against the factors that brought about our water crisis such as deforestation, improper waste disposal, and the like seem to be useless? Water crisis, an alarming issue, remains an issue until now. And let’s face it, the problem remains a problem.

We, young people have to open our eyes. We have to be aware that our silence means accepting that we are ready to face whatever ill-fate is coming on our way. Can’t we do anything about it?

The government has its role in conserving water resources, then we must also have our own. We should not stop thinking and putting into actions the most effective ways to preserve and protect our water supply.

Friends, the challenge is on you and me, on all of us. Let us be responsive to the call where the answer lies only on our hands. Let us develop consciousness, a sense of preservation, and a sense of responsibility. Let us treasure one of the miracles God has bestowed upon us, the life giving water.
The time to act is now, or it will be too late! Remember that water is life, and without it, we can never go far.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Wikang Filipino: Mula Baler Hanggang Buong Pilipinas

Talumpating nilikha ni Dennis Lacsam at binigkas ni John Paul Manalang na nagwagi ng Ikalawang Gantimpala sa APEX Talumpatian 2009.


“Ang pambansang wika ng Pilipinas ay Filipino. Habang ito ay nabubuo, patuloy itong pauunlarin batay sa mga umiiral na wika sa Pilipinas at iba pang wika.” Literal na pahayag na nakatala sa Seksiyong 6, Artikulo XIV ng Pambansang Konstitusyon ng 1987. Isang malinaw na kaisipan na magpapatotoo na sadyang kinikilala maging ng kataas-taasang saligang batas ang pagsulong ng wika na siyang bukal ng kamalayan ng isang bansa. Isang pananagutang magpapatibay na hindi maihihiwalay kailanman ang pag-unlad ng wika sa pag-usad ng panahon – palatandaang patuloy na magpapaalala na buhay ito katulad ng ating hininga na siyang pangunahing pangangailangan natin upang mabuhay at makipag-ugnayan.

Mga kababayan, halos pitumpung taon na nang ideklara ni Manuel Luis Quezon na tubong Baler, Quezon ang Tagalog bilang wikang pambansa sa Kumbensiyong Konstitusyunal ng 1939. Bagamat umani ng batikos partikular sa mga Sebwano ang aksyong ito ng dating Pangulo sapagkat hindi raw natutugunan nito ang pambansang tatak at diwa ng sambayanan, sa halip ay ng mga pangkat etniko lamang, hindi mapasusubalian na yumabong at naging katanggap-tanggap na ito sa pagdaan ng panahon. Sa paniniwalang mas agpang sa pagkilala sa maraming katutubo, ang Tagalog ay naging Pilipino at ang Pilipino sa kalauna’y napalitan ng Filipino – mga pagbabagong nalinang sa kabila ng iba’t ibang nagpanukala, bumatikos, nagtanggol, at nagtrabaho alang-alang sa iisang mithiin na pagkakaroon ng isang pambansang wika na magtataguyod ng ating pagkakakilanlan bilang mga Pilipino.

Mga kaibigan, maaring tapos na ang papantig na pagbigkas ng mga titik ng ABAKADA at napalitan na ng Ingles na baybay ng ABCD na mas angkop sa modernong mundo ng haute couture at Cyberspace ngunit hindi nangangahulugan ito na tinatalikdan natin ang ortograpiya ng ating pagkalahi. Pinayayabong lamang natin ang ating balarila bilang pagpapatunay na pinapahalagahan natin ang importansya ng dibersidad at multilinggwalismo ng ating Inang Wika upang mabuhay, umunlad at makipagsabayan sa panahon ng globalisasyon.

Ang wikang Filipino, kahit bali-baliktarin, pagandahin o gawing makabago ng sinumang Pilipino na magtatangkang paimbulugin ito sa anumang larangan – pasulat man o pasalita, sa kalauna’y ang paggamit pa rin nito ang higit na mas mahalaga. Walang sinuman ang makapagsasabi na binabastos at pinawawalang-halaga natin ang sarili nating kultura sapagkat bawat isa sa atin ay may kanya-kanyang interpretasyon kung papaano natin ito mamahalin at ilalapit sa puso bilang tunay at responsableng Pilipino.

Sa aminin man natin o hindi, ay nagdiwang tayo nang pumailanlang sa mga istasyon ng radyo at telebisyon sa Amerika ang kantang Bebot ni Apl. de Ap ng Black Eyed Peas na ayon mismo sa Wikipedia na isang on-line Encyclopedia sa World Wide Web ay nagmula sa balbal na salitang Filipino na tumutukoy sa isang magandang babae.

Malayo na ang narating ng ating Inang Wika. Ang noo’y diyalekto lamang ng Baler at buong Katagalugan ngayo’y wika na ng kapuluan at siya nating pambansang espiritu. Nakatutuwang isipin na sa tulong ng modernisasyon tulad ng Internet at iba pang midyum ng komunikasyon ay nakikilala na ito hindi lamang sa buong bansa bagkus ay sa buong mundo.

Nakalulugod na hindi natin ipinagpapasa-Diyos ang kahihinatnan ng ating katutubong salita, ngunit lagi nating tandaan na hindi na rin nakatutulong ang mga pagtatalo tungkol sa kapangyarihan ng isang wika kumpara sa iba sapagkat nananatili lamang itong walang katapusan at nauuwi sa kawalan. Pakaaalalahanin natin na ang pagmamahal sa wika ay naipapahayag sa mga pangmatagalang programa at proyektong inako nitong isakatuparan para sa kabutihan ng buong bayan.

Kung naniniwala tayo sa kapangyarihan ng ibang wika partikular ang Ingles upang makasabay tayo sa mga mauunlad na bansa sa daigdig, makatarungang sabay din nating pagyamanin, palaganapin at panatilihin ang mga wikang ginagamit nating mga Pilipino sa iba’t ibang larangan – maging ito ma’y sa inisyatiba para sa katutubong kaalaman, kaligirang pangliterasiya, integrasyong panlipunan, kaunlarang pang-ekonomiya at katatagang pampulitika. Napakahalaga na ipabatid sa bawat isang Pilipino na makabuluhan ang wika na siya nating lunggati sa ating pinagmulang lahi. Marapat na umigpaw sa ating mga sarili ang pagsibol ng totoong diwa ng nasyonalismo. Kailangan natin ang marami pang Felipe Jose, Wenceslao Vinzons, Tomas Confesor, Hermenegildo Villanueva at Norberto Romualdez na bagamat hindi masyadong kinilala ng kasaysayan bilang mga unang arkitekto at bayani ng wikang pambansa ay naging huwaran naman ng kadakilaan at tunay na pagmamalasakit sa ating Inang Bayan.

Mga minamahal kong kababayan, ngayon ang simula upang maging bayani tayo ng wikang pambansa. Paimbulugin natin ang kadakilaan nito sa isip, sa salita at sa gawa.