The Way It Should Be
I should have joined.
On 10-10-10, a marathon was sponsored by the ABS-CBN Foundation. It was no ordinary marathon because it was ambitious, its main aim being the rehabilitation of the Pasig River, a major water artery choked with human refuse that traversed the countenance of the once clean, once beautiful, Metro Manila.
Like many waterways and wonders in Manila, it is steeped in legend. It is said to have been the setting for the love story between a Filipina named Paz and her Spaniard lover. But the Spaniard was a jealous man, and when Paz became the recipient of the amorous intentions of a handsome Filipino, the Spaniard became so incensed that he followed them everywhere, even to the river, where because of an upturned boat, he drowned, saying his love’s name… Paz, sigue me… Paz, save me… But it was too late. Paz was inconsolable, having heard the Spaniard breath her name as his last, and so the river was named Pasig in his memory.
More than 116,000 participated in the marathon for Pasig River and it brought to the foreground the elephant in the room – the death of rivers and the waterways and what it spells for our future.
Scarcity. Devastation. Even death.
Water and I, we have a history. Where my family used to live, water was scarce by design, the subdivision planners having dug above the water line. And so young Issa would wash the dishes with trickles of water and a lot of soapy froth. I remember that minutes of washing would stretch to more minutes because sometimes, the water would even go out completely. And shower? If I wanted to make it to school on time, I would have to wake up really early to fill our red pail with water. It was ridiculous. In my mind, I could still see our rusting showerhead.
But the problem of young Issa was man-made (read: human error) more than real. Then, no one drank water from plastic bottles. And rivers were crystal clear. Fish actually swam in it.
Now, the problem is that my dress rehearsal of long ago could be the reality of everyone in this planet soon.
And that is why I should have run, participated, got in on the act. Or at least donated. The problem is serious and I should have contemplated it more seriously. But by the time I realized my folly, that I could just donate if I did not want to run, the registration was already closed.
But I console myself with the thought that I still could do something to protect our rivers and our lakes and our oceans. Here are some ways to clean up our water (to stem the tide of polluted runoff) from the Natural Resources Defense Council:
- Recycle and dispose of all trash properly. Do not flush non-biodegradable products down the toilet.
- Conserve water. Repair drips promptly.
- Use nontoxic household products whenever possible. Dispose of hazardous products responsibly at all times.
- Avoid over-watering your lawn.
- Hand-wash your car.
- Be an activist. Get involved. Donate. Do something.
I do not know how much time we have to actually make a difference in the lives of rivers. But it is a pressing concern, one that we need to take on right now. We could not let the rivers die on our watch because its future is ours too.
PS. You can read the other Blog Action Day articles here.
PPS. Please catch my webinar on How to Advance Your Finances at Medicol.ph. It will be on October 29, 2010 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. You can register here. You can also ask me questions during this webinar. Hope you can join me!
Article by Issa. Photo by D. Copyright 2010.
Website: www.YouWantToBeRich.com
Email: issa@youwanttoberich.com
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