In the evening of March 15, 2008, GMA 7’s Sine Totoo aired a shocking eye-witness documentary entitled “Alaga” about the deadly parasites known as schistosomiasis that plagued the river and killed the townsfolk of Trento, Agusan del Sur. In that dreadful, deplorable, and disgusting exposure, Kara David, the host of the program interviewed the residents – mother, father, and children all with yellowing eyes and skin and stomachs that rival of those women seven months pregnant. Some of them could no longer stand nor speak while others simply awaited death because of the life-threatening disease. For the said network, the revelation was another milestone because that unforgettable episode brought them as Finalist in the prestigious New York Festivals. But for millions of TV aficionados who have been shocked by the story, it was indeed alarming and tremendously upsetting.
Ladies and gentlemen, a pleasant afternoon to all of you.
I started my speech with that disturbing eye-opener for I want all of you to picture the tragic scenario. Just try to imagine if that same phenomenon will happen to our most treasured seven lakes, which we, San Pableños, consider as our enormous sources of life and livelihood, without uncertainty, survival in this city for majority of inhabitants would be in extreme jeopardy.
Friends, maintaining clean and safe water in our rivers, lakes and oceans remain one of our utmost national and global challenges and responsibilities. It is heartrending to know that over the recent decades, uncontrolled population growth, deforestation, land conversion, intense fisheries, rapid industrialization and urbanization had produced massive changes in our bodies of water and its watersheds. Many of us have unfortunately lost respect and apprehension for water and Mother Nature. Water, the lifeblood of human race, has been abandoned and contaminated to the limits.
In the local scene, DENR reported that none of the country’s 158 major rivers was clean enough to drink in their natural flowing state. Of the 421 rivers in the country, 50 were considered biologically dead. And, only horrible creatures that cause diseases could be found in these rivers due to their rotten condition.
Just recently, massive fish kills in lakes Taal, and Talisay in Batangas and Sebu, in South Cotobato due to high concentration of nitrite and ammonia, toxic substances found in animal wastes from local piggeries and factories have been reported. According to the distressing news, the sight of colossal dead and floating fish left not only local fishing community but the entire nation dumbfounded. It is so depressing to know that the lakes that are home to teeming water creatures have become a dumping ground of man’s toxic wastes.
Friends, even though the said catastrophic occurrence did not happen in our renowned seven lakes, we don’t need to express amusement and gratefulness because according to studies, our lakes are also threatened by human intervention and exploitation, most especially Lake Sampaloc, which is located right at the center of the metropolis. Quite a lot of illegal settlements, prohibited fish pens, commercial and business infrastructures on the shoreline have proliferated on some of the lakes causing increased pollution and severe environmental problems.
Ladies and gentlemen, we can do something about this problem. If the government has its role in preserving our lakes, then we must also have our own. We have to be aware that our passivity with the problems concerning with our lakes means accepting that we are ready to face whatever ill-fate is coming in our way. Let us all work hand in hand in various ecological conservation efforts by giving primary importance to the environment-related problems.
Folks, let us all keep in mind that our majestic seven lakes are not only eye-catching tourist destinations for it also supports a multitude of beneficial uses. Thousands of fishermen and their families depend on it for livelihood, and a thriving fishpen industry in our lakes contribute approximately thousand metric tons of fish annually to the fish supply of our city and nearby provinces. The water resources of the lake, as well as the tributaries that drain into it, are sometimes used for irrigation, power generation, recreation, domestic water supply, and a navigational lane to a thriving water transport industry that serves the lakeshore communities.
The hard lessons of history are clear; a nation that fails to plan intelligently for the development and protection of its precious waters will be condemned to wither because of its shortsightedness. Let us all be ecologically sensible. We still have time to do something about this problem before it is too late. The protection, preservation, rehabilitation and sustainable development of our lakes are actions of general interest. It is a pre-requisite to the realization of leading a healthy life in human dignity.
Ladies and gentlemen, we need an intelligent and compassionate approach to solve the problem from all sides. We have lot of ways to meet our energy needs. We must educate the people, we should require the scientists to create new technologies, we ought to oblige the engineers to generate the networks, and we should strengthen every resident of this city to be aware of how precious our lakes are. We must understand that everybody has to be involved in a very firm and assertive way. Each one must treat the lakes as the most important things in the world, the most valuable natural resources.
My dear San Pableños, it is indeed true that Sampaloc, Bunot, Palakpakin, Kalibato, Mohicap, Yambo and Pandin popularly known as the Seven Lakes of our city are our most indispensable resources but we have to bear in mind, that these heavenly possessions will be gone instantly if we continue to think of them as commodity and not as necessity.
Today, as we campaign and struggle for the preservation of our lakes for the future of San Pablo, let this meaningful reminder from a Native American Proverb becomes our guiding principle in life. “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”.
