CASE STUDY ON: “Villar says farm land conversion for malls, factories is “progress”.

I will have to disagree that converting more lands for urban development is 'okay'. The
ratio of landscape to building in this country is not even balanced anymore, and we all know
that everything on earth has to be in equilibrium or else things could go wrong. If Sen. Cynthia
Villar thinks that farmers should rely more on loans and improving technology for their
children's future, she is implying that there is no future in farming as a means of livelihood,
hence children will be discouraged to be like their parents. Agriculture has always been
underestimated when in fact, the government should have given it utmost attention because
they provide for our raw essential needs and it has wide impact to the economy. This is further
emphasized in “SDG 15: Life on Land” as people heavily rely on agricultural products for daily
consumption. In other countries, farmers are not the poorest of the poor and they take pride in
what they do because they are being supported.

It also addresses “SDG 2: Zero Hunger”. Our main source of food is agriculture, scarcity
of food products due to conversion of lands will increase in the long run. If this happens,
demand for food also increases and so there will be a surge in prices of goods in the market.
There are more people who will go hungry.

Grasslands, farmlands and plain fields do not only serve as plantation grounds. They
serve as a natural habitat to some species. It is part of the ecosystem as for bees and butterflies
in pollination. According to Popescu, O. and Smith, A., 2016, when farming is done right, it
could help improve the soil and prevent erosion. This proposed plan by Senator Villar is
continued since she does not support research which would have been the first step to ensure
if it her plans would not have negative effects on the people and the environment.

CASE STUDY ON: Actual Cherry Blossoms are Now Beginning to Bloom in Benguet

Knowing about the cherry blossoms in Benguet is a pleasant to read! I would wait for
them to fully bloom and I will definitely visit it. I’ve always gone to Baguio at least once a year
and knowing about this will probably take my visit to different level as it is a new attraction.
 I am surprised that they were able to grow in our climate despite our differences in
seasons with Japan. With this thought, more questions came to mind on how it might affect our
environment. I saw an article in disagreement of planting cherry blossoms in our country. And
so all excitement was lost. In an article by Tolentino, C., 2016, she was trying to explain the
adverse effects of this ‘exotic tree’ being introduced in our land. It does not suit our climate and
even more, the biodiversity. It disrupts the ecosystem (our wildlife, other plant species, etc.). It
is more conducive that we plant native trees which will attract insects and birds rather that
exotic trees that have high possibilities of infestation hence, will require double or triple the
care than usual species that we have. We don’t want our beautiful narras and mahoganies to be
replaced by foreign trees just so we could update our social media and brag about our trip. If
we really want to be proud, we should end this colonial mentality and fully support local with
what we have here. This calls again for UN SDG 15: Life on Land. It is our role to protect
biodiversity which means that we should be responsible in keeping our species safe from threat
or worse, endangerment. I could say that not enough study was conducted to make sure that
having these beautiful trees in Atok , as beautiful as they are, will be beneficial to our
environment.

CASE STUDY ON: “Pangasinan schools tap mosquito fish vs. Dengue”

Mosquito Fishes being used to aid health needs and prevent dengue outbreaks is
genius. We should maximize the resources that we have in order to sustain our living. In this
time of pandemic, we are now much aware that prevention is better than cure. It is SDG 3:
“Good Health and Well-being” that tells us how important it is to improve health and sanitation
to save more lives. Having mentioned all these, let us also not forget about SDG 14: Life below
water. Marine life should not be exploited so regular studies should be done from time to time
to check if managing this project is safe and ethical but since mosquito fish includes mosquito
larvae in its diet, it is okay. I salute scientists for not getting tired to understand our
environment, coping with it and finding solutions to this imperfect world.

Doing a bit of research, I’ve found out that mosquito fish could be invasive if not
properly handled. Releasing large amounts of it to our waters could threaten other fishes and
species as it grows rapidly in number and could survive even in harshly polluted water. This
means our local fishes could decline in number as they try hard to compete for space and food
(Servick, 2016) . If this happens, biodiversity is again, vulnerable.

CASE STUDY ON: 1,000 frogs released in Quezon City to fight Dengue

I do not support this practice, for using bull frogs to kill mosquitos is definitely unethical.
Frogs deserve a good habitat in order to survive. They are unnaturally made to kill mosquitoes
and save us from dengue. Water pollutants definitely contain toxic elements that could affect
their health negatively. It has pesticides and all sorts of chemicals. If frogs accidentally eat
things or insects that are full of toxins, they could die and if another prey captures them and
eats them, it will also make them sick. This scenario will not contribute to loss of biodiversity
(Brady, Zamora-Camacho, Eriksson, Goedert, Comas & Calsbeek, 2018.). Frogs are aquatic
animals too and so we need to protect their habitat according to SDG 14: Life below Water.
They are wandering the cities, our backyard and even polluted water because they cannot find
a place to stay anymore as our rivers are contaminated as well. When locals did this, they
weren’t considering anything. It was all merely an experiment.

I think the solution to dengue outbreaks (addressing SDG 3: “Good Health and Well-
being”) is to improve sanitation by cleaning our ‘esteros’ and canals or maybe a better drainage
system to prevent mosquitos on laying their eggs.

CASE 5: “Water shortage in the Philippines threatens sustainable development and health.”

This article is trying to address “SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation”. Water is a basic
necessity. It is for human consumption, for health and for hygiene. It generally supports life that
is why we humans have a right to clean and potable drinking water. Growing up in metro
manila, I’ve experienced water shortage wherein we had to call for water delivery to fill up our
tank. It is already a nuisance, what more for people who had to walk miles or cross a mountain
to access it? I think it should be a top priority for the local governments to make sure that the
people have safe water to consume.

Deaths due to unclean water should not be tolerated this time around. It is already
2020, researchers and other professionals have probably developed systems that could
improve the quality of water. No town or province should be digging up wells to access water,
anymore. If we are able to sustain this, we could lessen deaths and promote better health.
“SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation”.

A. What is the most urgent need of our society in each issue, and what can you do to educate
others in this regard?

I think the most crucial issue right now is about our agricultural lands. If farmlands are
continuously converted into buildings, we could have scarcity of food in the future. We will
have to import from different countries, which is even occurring now. Having to import
goods would cost us inflation rates due to high demand yet low supply. Also, farmers will
lose hope in keeping their jobs.

In a commentary by Ordonez, 2019., he said that Filipino farmers are suffering a 35%
tarriff as per rice tarrification law. Four tons per hectare of production is needed for this
percentage of tarriff and is what we owe to the World Trade Organization. It is already a
burden yet a 70% tarriff is what is equitable today. Due to unfortunate circumstances
which includes conversion of lands to urban developments, at least 200,000 farmers have
stopped planting rice and so prices in the ‘farm-gate’ have continuously depreciated.

They will most probably relocate to a different place, most likely to Manila in hopes to
find a different source of income so they can provide for their families. And because they
cannot afford to live in the suburb, they will squeeze themselves into make-shift barong-
 barongs in slum areas, adding up to the overpopulated region in the country. If their search
for a job doesn’t work, they will resort to working as OFWs where violence and human
trafficking is a common story.

I think what we can do as normal citizens of the country, is to support their products.
The food industry should continue to use local goods for their business. They would help
their farmers to earn while also getting resources they need for reasonable prices. We as
consumers should patronage these instead of utilizing imported products from different
countries. We should always help our locality, first. By showing support, the government or
concerned organizations will then see the importance of this and make agriculture more of
a priority.

B. Laudato Si calls on everyone to recognize the effects of the environmental crisis on the
poor, and to remember that any true ecological approach is always also a social approach
to the issues. In relation to the ecological-related issue(s), how can we be part of the
dialogue to which he is calling everyone?

I think the dilemma here will always be the inequality that the poor will always experience in
their lifetime. It is discussed in Chapter 1 of the Laudato Si, the gap between the rich and the
poor cause unequal distribution of goods. Because population continues to grow, we see it as
the main problem that causes poverty. I believe that if everyone can afford to have adequate
resources, people will not perish. What is happening is that our natural resources are being
monopolized by the business industry. They control the trade of these resources for their own
benefit.

Not only is this the disadvantage to the poor, Natural disasters and pandemics like what
we experience now, affects them the most as most of them have no means to be hospitalized,
more vulnerable in their so-called homes in the slums or under bridges.

As we continue to take for granted the creation of God that we were tasked to take care
of, the more adverse effects it reflects on the people. We must remember that everything is
connected to nature. We should think about our actions because what we do to mother earth,
goes back to us in return. In Chapter 5, Pope Francis tells us that the principle of “subsidiarity”
must be considered. Change starts from our local government units, their implementation of
policies, their programs for the poor and efforts in caring for their local environment. We are
already blessed with technological advancements, let us use it for the common good.
 Resources:

Brady, S., Zamora‐Camacho, F., Eriksson, F., Goedert, D., Comas, M., & Calsbeek, R. (2019,
January 18). Fitter frogs from polluted ponds: The complex impacts of human‐altered
environments. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eva.12751

Catholic Climate Covenant, T. (n.d.). Laudato Si' Summary & Action Steps. Retrieved August 27,
2020, from https://catholicclimatecovenant.org/resource/laudato-si-summary-action-
steps

Kelly ServickOct. 25, 2., Rebekah TuchschererAug. 26, 2., Rasha AridiAug. 21, 2., Cathleen
O’GradyAug. 21, 2., Rasha AridiAug. 17, 2., & Lucy HicksAug. 12, 2. (2017, December 09).
Ecologists raise alarm over releases of mosquito-killing guppies. Retrieved August 27,
2020, from https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/10/ecologists-raise-alarm-over-
releases-mosquito-killing-guppies

The Manila Times, Darwin Pesco - August 27, Divina Nova Joy Dela Cruz - August 27, Agence
France-Presse - August 27, Jacinto, A., & Tolentino, C. (2016, June 18). Cherry blossom
trees not suited to PH ecosystem. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from
https://www.manilatimes.net/2016/06/18/lifestyle-entertainment/life-times/cherry-
blossom-trees-not-suited-to-ph-ecosystem/268527/

Ordoñez, E. (2019, August 30). Defend our rice farmers now. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from
https://business.inquirer.net/277852/defend-our-rice-farmers-now

Propescu, O., & Smith, N. (2019, September 04). Positive Effects of Agriculture on the
Environment. Retrieved August 27, 2020, from https://greentumble.com/positive-effects-
of-agriculture-on-the-environment/