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In the world today, we are witnessing

the increasing problem of pollution

and its effects to the environment. A

lot of advocates are currently aiming to

get the environment back to its old roots

through preservation and conservation

amidst technology and advancement.

One of these steps is organic agricul-

ture.

The green scene

Organic farming is a system of

farming, which utilizes indigenous and

natural sources. It has been around for

decades, but since the development

of new chemicals and fertilizers, it has

been neglected. One of the major differ-

ences of organic farming compared to

the conventional type of farming are the

resources being used. In organic farm-

ing, renewable resources such as ani-

mal and plant manure are being used.

On the other hand, conventional farm-

ing uses synthetic inputs like petroleum

based fertilizers, which is non renew-

able and harmful to the environment.

According to Terence Al L. Ab-

aquita, Crop Science teacher of Xavier

University, the use of inorganic fertiliz-

ers will only supply the soil with three

nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus and

potassium; but organic fertilizers supply

16 essential nutrients to the soil. Organ-

ic farming also makes its products taste

better because of lesser nitrate content

compared to the conventional method.

The mindset of most people when

hearing the word ‘organic’ usually

rounds up to ‘safe’ and ‘healthy’. But ac-

cording to Floro Dalapag, Crop Science

Unit Head of Xavier University, his opin-

ion is different. “So a number of organ-

ic farmers, promoters, and advocates

say that organic farming does not harm

the environment, [but] from my point of

view, both organic fertilizer and synthet-

ic fertilizer may harm the environment

if you don’t handle it properly. Basically,

from the technical point of view, organic

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fertilizers are also chemical fertilizers.”

College of Green

Xavier University College of Agri-

culture also practices and promotes

Organic Agriculture, more specifically,

Organic Farming. But since it’s an agri-

cultural school, it also teaches other al-

ternative farming systems. The college

has also expanded a program called

Center of Agro-Ecological Research

and Studies.

As of now, there are only few

farms that grow organic products in this

region. Some landowners might try us-

ing the organic system of farming on the

sides, but always end up using the con-

ventional method since fertilizers need-

ed in the system of farming are much

lesser compared to organic farming.

Rise of the greens

Lorenzo Villegas, nephew of his un-

cle who owns an organic farm, believes

that organic farming is the safest and

healthiest among other systems. The

Ricacho farm, located in Lantapan, Ma-

laybalay, Bukidnon, has been growing

organic products for more or less 15

years. They have organically grown a

variety of lettuce, cabbage, sweet corn,

Japanese cucumber, and cauliflower.

Comparing their organic products to

the conventional ones, Villegas points

out that organic products last longer

and that there is a huge difference in

terms of its taste. Villegas says, “Of

course organic is safer. Because, think

about it, the ones that use [synthetic]

fertilizer [you are] basically eating veg-

etables that were given chemicals, or

has chemicals in them compared to the

organic ones.”

But growing and maintaining an or-

ganic farm isn’t a smooth drive; there

are some factors that may be little but

may greatly affect the whole production

of crops. One of the major problems

being faced by Ricacho Farm are the

insects and pests lurking in the vege-

tables. Since everything is grown in a

safe way, they do not have the option to

spray chemical insecticides but instead

they have to take out the pests by hand

during harvest.

Villegas said that the products from

Ricacho Farm are being sold here in

Cagayan de Oro. The vegetables are

being brought to Bulua Market and then

dropped off at Ayala Centrio Mall.

Step by step

Even though Organic Agriculture

has been around for a while, many are

still unaware of its existence. But there

is not doubt that the organic system of

farming is safer than the conventional

method and according to Abaquita “[Or-

ganic farming is] environment friendly

and sustainable for the next generation

kay mapreserve man niya ang

properties sa soil.”

There is still a chance to sustain the

environment. With the Department of

Agriculture’s effort in promoting Organ-

ic Agriculture and its deadline for the

Organic Agriculture Project Proposal

last 15th of September, sustaining the

environment and improving the lives of

farmers and consumers isn’t far from

reach. Bringing back earth can still be

achieved if everyone – not just the farm-

ers and the landowners - will come to-

gether and start a healthy, natural and

better lifestyle.

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Meat is a good source of protein. It is part

of our diet, satiates our hunger, and

gives us energy in our day. Since the

present generation is disease-stricken, most of us

would often blame the food we eat as the source of

illnesses. Some would deprive themselves of meat

diet since they think meat causes all these diseases.

But do we sometimes care to discern which is

“good” meat and which isn’t? It all boils down to how

the source of that meat is raised, tended, and pro-

duced.

Organic farming to agricultural livestock is a

strategy that promotes natural ways of raising farm

animals. It involves using organically raised resourc-

es as feeds and non-conventional treatment to live-

stock as opposed to the commercialized ones in large

factories. It provides sustainability to the environment

as well as safety to the health of the consumers. Not

only that, it also decreases the risk of animal abuse

and coordinates well with the principles of the animal

welfare act.

Excluding Artificial Gluttony

On the contrary to commercialized feeds adver-

tized on television and sold in markets, farmers rely

on organically grown feeds for livestock such as pigs,

cattle, and goat. Although commercialized feeds are

advantageous to the animals’ fast growth, the chem-

icals found in these products are detrimental to the

health of the livestock as they develop into premature

growth and undergo complications in their life cycle.

In addition, the Genetically Enhanced Organisms

(GMO) present in the feeds might also be transferred

to the consumers as soon as they intake the animal’s

meat, causing side-effects to the health.

For organic feeds, farmers often formulate their

own concoction. For the swine, examples of their

feeds are edible plant materials such as banana

stem, spinach, sweet potato leaves, and madre de

agua. For every plant material, the farmers mix it in

four part sugar and organically grown rice or corn.

After this, they put the natural formulation into a pail

or bucket and store in a moderate temperature. The

process takes a month to finish. Farmers also fer-

ment plant, fruit, and ornamental herb juices as sup-

plementations in the swine’s water so they will obtain

natural nutrients.

As a result, the meat produced by the livestock,

most especially the swine, contains no added hor-

mones and harmful chemicals that affect the con-

sumers’ health. Moreover, organically grown swine

have lesser “back-fat” (the portion that contains bad

cholesterol) than the commercialized ones in huge

factories.

Green “Cropsumption”

Organic farming to the livestock is safe and

eco-friendly. Farmers ensure stable and clean en-

vironment that houses the livestock so the animals

would live in a stress-free and unpolluted place. Pol-

lution in the farm affects the health of the animals and

increases the risk of diseases. Since vaccines and

antibiotics are prohibited in organic farming, farmers

use effective sanitation method such as maintaining

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proper disposal by segregating the unwanted waste

and those that can be recycled for future purposes.

In coordination with recyclable wastes, farmers

use pig manure or chicken dung as organic fertilizers

for the crops. Besides being effective resources for

growing the crops animals eat, these organic fertil-

izers do not contain toxins. Furthermore, recycling

waste for fertilizers is a way of putting available re-

sources into good use.

To stress on the harmful effects synthetic fer-

tilizers cause to the environment, Ivy Quino of the

Animal Science Unit in Xavier University Agriculture

Department remarks, “Using them for livestock feed

emit methane gas in the air which might be the cause

of the depletion of the ozone layer.”

To elaborate on the organic consumption of the

livestock, farmers use adequate crops grown without

the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Resi-

dues of these chemicals might stay on the crops be-

ing fed to the livestock.

Beethoven B. De Los Reyes of the Department

of Agriculture Region 10 states, “It’s best to provide

crops for the livestock that have been tended with

organic fertilizer. Organic fertilizers are derived from

animal wastes or vegetable matter. They include

compost and manure.”

National Organic Rave

Organic meat has grown rapidly to 8.9% per an-

num in demand and distribution in the world. In the

Philippines, the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 gives

way for the agricultural system in the country to alter

into this strategy of farming.

One example is the Clarenzon Marketing locat-

ed in Pabayo-Gomez Street, Cagayan de Oro City.

Owned by Clarissa Yuzon, the business is current-

ly producing and selling probiotic chickens. These

chickens with their product-name, Cenyu, are raised

in the farms in Mambatangan and Talakag, Bukidnon.

To explain the organic treatment to the Cenyu

chickens, Ranulfo Y. Sarmiento, Sales Technical and

Production Manager of Clarenzon Marketing, stress-

es, “The farm in Mambatangan has an estimate num-

ber of 4,000 chickens. In Talakag, there are 6,000. All

of them are housed in open-air cages. We provide

organic feeds such as rice, corn, kangkong (spinach),

and Oriental Herb Nutrients (OHN) as well as celery,

cucumber, and carrots for the chickens to grow natu-

rally and healthily.”

Sarmiento also indicates the segregation be-

tween the disease-stricken fowls from the healthy

ones. Whenever a group of chickens turn ill, the farm-

ers separate them into another cage and treat them

with organic herbs or fermented natural medicines

such as Ginger-Garlic. This is contrary to commer-

cialized farming in which sick chickens are killed to

stop the contagion from spreading. Due to inevita-

ble risks to illnesses to the poultry such as sudden

climate change and infectious viruses in the area,

Cenyu chickens are given probiotics (as opposed to

antibiotics in commercialized farming) that heavily

contain lactobacillus to strengthen their immunity.

Another example that practices organic farming

to agricultural livestock is the ACES Polytechnic Col-

lege Farming Institute in Davao. Established in 1993,

ACES earned its license or certification from the Ne-

gros Island Certification Services (NICERT) and has

full protocol in practicing organic farming to this day. It

is owned by Dr. Francisco de la Pena Jr., the national

president of the Farm Tourism Movers Association of

the Philippines.

Located in Panabo City, Davao Oriental, ACES

is famous for its organic lechon. The product was

sold during the Second Agri Trade at the New City

Commercial Corporation (NCCC) Mall as a way of

promoting organic meat in the city.

Subsequently, Clarenzon Marketing and ACES

are just among agricultural companies that produce

organic meat in the Philippines. Beethoven B. De Los

Reyes of the DA Region 10 weighs the percentage

between the organic and commercialized produce,

stating, “Out of all agricultural livestock produced in

the country, only 7% are organic or raised organi-

cally.” Despite a rarity in the country, the demand for

organic produce might increase in the eventual years

as people start to become health-conscious.

They say what we eat is what we are. If we

choose to eat unhealthy products, we will become

unhealthy and vice versa. Our choice for meat con-

sumption, whether organic or inorganic, depends on

us. Organic meat is “good” meat. Good meat con-

tains less chemicals harmful to our health. It solely

contains protein and essential nutrients our body

needs. We must consider the kinds of meat we con-

sume. After all, our life is at stake when we don’t eat

the right kind of steak.

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Small, tube-shaped, slimy skin,

with seemingly no bones and

face, and usually found living in

soils — these are the common descrip-

tion referred to earthworms. But these

reddish-gray-colored invertebrates are

so familiar to everyone that it only takes

a little to describe them. These organ-

isms may be tiny as a size of a tea cup,

but what they are capable of can bring a

great help to the environment.

One of the greatest things earth-

worms can do is to play the main role

in vermicomposting. According to Den-

nis Apuan, an Agricultural Sciences in-

structor specialized in soil sciences of

Xavier University, vermicomposting is

a process about digesting organic sub-

strate using earthworms. Through this

process, substrates like grasses or any

biodegradable materials are processed

to produce fertilizers.

Eudrilus euginiae, known as Af-

rican nightcrawler, is a compost worm

originated in Sub-Saharan Africa. In

the Philippines, this particular kind of

earthworms is not even endemic. “In

this type of worm, paspas siya mu-

daghan and can produce vermicast at

a rapid rate,” Apuan said. As part of the

research of the Agricultural Science in-

structors, they are now seeking for local

species better than Eudrilus eugini-

ae.

In vermicomposting, two types of

products can be produced – vermicom-

post and vermicast. Vermicompost is

referred as rough, not very fine, less

mineral content, not readily available

for plants and with a hint of undesirable

odor. Unlike the vermicompost, vermi-

cast, is considered as a high-quality

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product with no bad odor, readily avail-

able for plants and has high mineral

content.

Undeniably, vermicomposting is not

just mainly about producing organic

fertilizers. This technology is bound to

have a lot of benefits to our surround-

ings and most importantly to human life.

One of its benefits is managing

biodegradable waste. Through vermi-

composting, wastes from farm, kitchen,

households, can be digested by worms

and its product can be used as organic

fertilizers to plants. In this way, wastes

that will be transported to landfills will be

reduced that can help in minimizing the

wastes in the dumpsites.

In connection to processing the bio-

degradable wastes, vermicomposting

can also help in minimizing emission of

carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It

helps in reducing the impact of green-

house effect which is caused by exces-

sive amount of carbon dioxide.

Moreover, vermicomposting also

has its extended contribution not just

to any individuals but most especially

to communities. Xavier University, spe-

cifically the College of Agriculture, have

been spreading this newly-discovered

green technology. Through lectures giv-

en by Agriculture instructors, students

and farmers from urban and sub-urban

communities were taught about the pro-

cess of vermicomposting. “We empha-

size that they can gain something be-

cause they can make this as their own

business. If they can produce organic

fertilizers from vermicomposting, then

they can sell it,” Apuan adds.

Livelihood on the move

One of the beneficiaries of this pro-

gram is a community from Calaanan,

Cagayan de Oro. Since 2000, the res-

idents from this area were taught about

the process of vermicomposting. Cecil

Kuinisala, a homeowner of Oro Habitat

in Calaanan, is one of the beneficiaries

of this livelihood.

“Naai gipahigayon nga live-

lihood sila ni Mr. Mariano Nava (Oro

Habitat Homeowner Administrator).

Nagpalit siya sa wati aron kami

maka-livelihood, para makata-

bang sa amoa, sa matag pami-

lya namo nga makabayad mi sa

among balay. So kanang pinaagi

sa earthworm, African crawler earth-

worm, mao kana ang gipalit sa

mga homeowner para sa among

livelihood, aron makatabang sa

amoa, sa among gikinahanglan.”

Now, they are selling the products

they get from the agricultural system

with a cost of Php400.00 per sack of

vermicast. Through this, they were able

to pay their monthly housing obligation

and teach the technique to some stu-

dents. “Ang among suki kay gikan

sa Green Minds, Green Mindanao, ug

MSU ug maskin kanang sa mga

balay-balay. Nakatabang sad mi

sa mga nagkinahanglan labaw

na sa eskwelahan nga nagkina-

hanglan nga i-demo sa klase sa

mga estudyante. Tabang sad

sa mga magsasaka natu diri sa

Cagayan”, Kuinisala adds.

In addition, Xavier University also

supports the Ecoville Community in

Lumbia. They also have vermicompost-

ing and waste management programs

in provision of the institution. Also, the

Physical Plant Office (PPO) at XU is

also taught how to manage the vermi-

composting. Now, they have eventually

adapted the technology in which they

use the products as fertilizers to the

plants inside the XU campus.

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Welcome to Cagayan de Oro City – The 10th most populous city in the Philippines. With 602, 088 people working, eating and resid-

ing, Solid Waste Management has always been an undying issue since God-knows-when.

Protected by the law

At present, the Local Government of Cagayan de Oro aims to collect all the residual waste and to put up a standard disposal facility while the barangay level aims to apply the 3R’s which is Reduce, Re-use and Recycle and to ensure proper segregation in every barangay. This movement is in accordance to Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management effectively followed on January 2001 covering both city and barangay levels.

The act also defines and sets the parameters of Solid Waste Management: Segregation at source, strict implementation of materials recovery system including recycling, and prohibits open burning.

So what does the act wish to oversee? It directs the implementation of Solid Waste Management programs, it also points to the discipline associated with the requirement of an Ecological Solid Waste Management system: storage, discharge and setting out, collection, transfer, transport, processing and recovery, and disposal of solid waste using sanitary landfills.

Red flag raised

Elvisa Mabelin, CLENRO’s Solid Waste Man-agement Coordinator emphasized that non-compli-ance to the mandate “comes with public health and environmental risks.” The consequences we are bound to face are flooding and pollution of air and

water, if we do not comply with the law.

Dumping will produce methane gas, which can cause burning and/or explosion in dumpsites, which is harmful to the environment and human health. The mere pollution of the air has a big possibility of killing people.

Moreover, dumping will cause the liquid portions of wastes to go down and seep through the soil and pollute the groundwater, which is the source of drink-ing water. This is harmful and may cause contami-nation of the city’s sewage system. This affects not only humans but the life of aquatic organisms as well.

The local efforts

The LGU of CDO has enacted Ordinance no. 8975-2003 requiring mandatory segregation of waste at source, which are the households, public markets, establishments, and institutions. This means that segregation must be done where waste products are generated.

Under the leadership of Mayor Moreno, CLEN-RO has drafted a framework of the city’s course and seeks to gather even more community leaders to ad-dress the variety of concerns of different communities during consultations by sector.

“Our (CLENRO) priority is to capacitate the ba-rangay level because they have a lookout on the household level. They have the ability to ensure that the households are following the proper method of Solid Waste Management,”Mabelin said.

Example of some model barangays who ex-emplified their Solid Waste Management practices are Barangay Bugo and Barangay Gusa. Barangay Bugo’s KALAMBUAN or the Integrated Solid Waste

Management project has earned an award from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ “National Search for Model Barangay” for its Eco-Waste Management in 2004. On the other hand, the ISWMP project of Barangay Gusa accomplished their four-year project with concrete and beneficial results.

Currently, the city has created a Solid Waste Management Program, along with the formation of the City Solid Waste Management Board. “The board was organized by the city to be the policy-making body, which should develop and recommend strat-egies and measures to address problems on solid waste,” she added.

The board is focused on two priority issues for the board to take on: the closure of the current dumpsite in Upper Dagong, Carmen; and creating a sanitary landfill in Pagatpat. However, these projects really depends if everyone is willing to cooperate.

As of now, the primary responsibility of the LGU is to make the people knowledgeable on benefits and harms of waste and what they can do reduce its risks on the people and the environment.

“We aim to instil consciousness in each individu-al to reduce waste generation. If they are informed, it is more likely that they will change their perspectives, consumption and lifestyles, so that they will partici-pate in achieving the program’s goal,” Ms. Mabelin added.

Even the small efforts of each individual can con-tribute to the development of a clean, healthy, and pleasant environment in Cagayan de Oro City; if only they are informed.

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Adaptation is one of the funda-mental teachings in science wherein a living thing, specif-

ically a human being, adjusts to envi-ronmental conditions. According to the concepts of evolutionary biology, it is the evolutionary process whereby an organism becomes better able to live in its habitat.

Have you seen a pile of trash? Are you in Awe or Eww? Or have you seen a mountain of trash? If not, imagine yourself to be living in Zayas Landfill and ask yourself how easy you can adapt in the environment Zayas has. Adaptation, perhaps is an understatement for the people of Zayas Landfill.

Zayas Landfill, located at Upper Da-gong, Barangay Carmen, the central dumping avenue for CdeO’s excesses, has been the home of huge and alarm-

ing amounts of garbage that came from us for almost 15 years now.

Health Issues

“Ah, anad na man mi,” says a smiling Junrey Ladasan, a 30-year-old resident and scavenger of Zayas Land-fill while his colleagues nod in agree-ment. Junrey has been scavenging since he was still 15 and basically spent half of his life searching through waste and junk that can be used. In those years, he hasn’t encountered any major diseases. He highly thinks that he just got used to his environment because he grew up there.

He also added that the barangay health center of Carmen is doing their job in providing sufficient health services in their place to ensure cleanliness and healthiness among inhabitants. Monthly check-ups are conducted which include

vaccinations, follow-ups and lectures for health awareness and improvement.

“Pa-ingun ani lang man mi, pero kabalo man pud hinuon mi mag-atiman sa among kaugain-gon,” says one of Junrey’s colleagues in a dignified tone.

Mr. Allyson C. Sacabon, OIC of the Environmental Sanitation Division of the City Health Office said that he is amazed by the health immunity that the community of Zayas landfill is showing. But they can’t be too sure, so they still regularly conduct Public Information Education campaigns to maintain the progress and also to avoid the diseases that are prone to their environment.

Some of these probable diseases are amoeba, pneumonia, dengue, sca-bies, and other skin diseases. So far, there were no recorded outbreaks of

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such diseases in the area but the gov-ernment shouldn’t be complacent with that.

Technically, the signs and symptoms of such diseases are not immediately manifested because of the relative ad-aptation in the landfill’s environment. There are tons of health hazards that are posed on them but the people are mildly apathetic to the possible conse-quences due to the belief that it’s okay in the context of their health.

Most of the people of Zayas Land-fill prioritize their income; which made them care less about the health risks that is projected on them.

For Closure

The City Local Environment and Natural Resources office (CLENRO) recently announced the closing of the City’s dumpsite at Upper Dagong, Ba-rangay Carmen. The Technical Working group spearheaded by CLENRO is eye-ing Pagatpat, Balubal, and Baikingon, as prospects for the new and alternative dump site.

According to the Head of SWM of CLENRO, our existing dumpsite is a controlled dumpsite which is long over-due for closure since 2006. Based on research, it’s not really a landfill; it’s technically a dumpsite since ‘landfill’ means dumping garbage by means of burial. Here in the city, the garbage is being collected by the garbage collec-tors and are automatically dumped into the area without further treatments.

With this, we have been in this world knowing that Zayas landfill is basically a landfill, well in fact, it’s not. It should be called as Zayas Dumpsite.

With the existing law on Solid Waste Management, RA 9003, it aims to en-force segregation among garbage and waste that is being disposed within the city. The law also explained that dump-sites are not supposed to be allowed anymore. The dumpsite, per se, has caused a lot of violations under the said law.

The process of closing the dumpsite isn’t that easy. Aside from the need of new relocation site for the garbage, it costs serious amount of money – hun-dreds of millions. Existing reports indi-cate that the government will spend a whopping 300 million for a construction of a new sanitary landfill.

“SWM needs organizational capac-ity and help from both parties [govern-ment and people],” says Edwin Dael, CLENRO chief.

Though the new administration is embarking on solutions to make this plan possible, a little delay is expected because of the lack of funds. Moreover, the city government is already taking baby steps to make the relocation pos-sible in due time.

A huge demand for a new and mod-ernized landfill is on the move. The goal is to create a sanitary landfill that is solely dedicated for the residual wastes only and with these, it requires thorough

planning and research and intense po-litical will.

The next time you see yourself eat-ing a junk food or drinking a mineral water bought from a store, you should think how the plastic residues go after you ate them. It’s not the sole duty of the government to protect the people on the health hazards of our own waste. The challenge is to make our city a more conducive place to live in. It’s unfortu-nate how the people of Zayas benefits from this risk. One of the greatest mis-takes of the human mind is that we wit-ness inequality and injustice infront of our eyes and not being able to respond to it. After all, these wastes came from us and as they say, what goes around comes back around; and that’s how the cycle of life goes.

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It is a known fact that water plays a huge role in our lives. In this gener-ation, it is believed that we, humans,

are capable of surviving three weeks without electricity, two weeks without the internet, but not a week without wa-ter. We drink, we bathe, we clean with water and so far, no naturally occurring substance could top its life sustaining powers - not even coco juice.

However, like any other resource na-ture has provided us with, water, if not properly taken care of, could be as de-

structive as much as it is useful. Aside from its ability to preserve, it could also end life as we know it.

Sendong, one which had a massive impact on us, for example, may be at-tributed to the denudation of Mount Ka-latungan and Mount Kitanglad. In a fo-rum held on February 14, 2012 at Xavier University, Buling Alang sa (Balsa) Min-danao presented a Typhoon Sendong primer pointing out to both mountain’s denudation as main cause of Sendong’s massive destruction. The said moun-

tains, located in Talakag, Bukidnon, are engulfed by bodies of water connect-ed to the Batang sub-watershed. This sub-watershed in return, is connected to other major bodies of water engulfing Mindanao and is inferred to be the main source of floodwaters which devastated Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, and other parts of Bukidnon. Without enough trees supporting the absorption of rain water pouring down the mountains, there is a high risk of these bodies of water to overflow within the areas they are occu-

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pying. This is what exactly caused the devastation of Sendong.

With this, the Xavier University McKeough Marine Center (MCC) took the initiative of submitting a project proposal to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, Netherlands (IUCN NL), focused on establishing sustainable provision for the ecosystem services care of the Miarayon, Lapok, Lirongan, Tinaytayan, Talaandig Tribal Association (MILALITTTRA).

The project, now known as “Xavi-er University Payment for Ecological Services (XU PES): Sustaining Green Growth by Valuing Ecosystem Services in CdO River Basin Mindanao”, had been approved and is scheduled to run from June 15, 2014 to June 30, 2015.

The project aims to help MI-LALITTTRA in maintaining the ecolog-ical balance within the twin mountains by providing them with funds, man-aged by the Xavier Science Founda-tion (XSF). According to the project’s technical head, Anne Mijares, “Ang understanding man gud sa uban is

ang project para matabangan nato

ang tribe. Actually, the project is fo-cused on sustaining the provisioning of the ecosystem services. It just so hap-pens nga ang naa sa taas didto

[MILALITTTRA] mao’y makatabang

sa ‘to ma-sustain ang ecosystem services; tabangan ra nato sila para

matabang pud ta nila”.

Regarding the mountains, MI-LALITTTRA says both mountains do not share the same condition; Kitanglad and Kalatungan are not equally denud-ed. Kitanglad has a better disposition compared to Kalatungan. Logging, may it be legal or illegal, has greatly affected Miarayon’s ecosystem. The mountains’ deforestation, especially Kalatungan’s, do not only contribute in increasing the probability of a flood or landslide if trees continue to be cut down at this rate, the mountain’s biodiversity would also be affected. Without enough trees to shel-ter animals that have the forest as their natural habitat, the survival of these an-imals is challenged. The project does not only aim to prevent the Mount Ka-latungan and Mount Kitanglad’s defor-estation, but it also aims to make people aware of the consequences if the defor-estation continues.

Water, which is fundamental to our survival, would also be affected. Putting the possibility of flood aside, if matters concerning the deforestation of these mountains are not addressed any soon-er, our access to clean and affordable drinking water is also in jeopardy. If there are no trees to absorb rain water, water would go directly to the stream located in between these mountains. The cleanliness of the stream, where we mostly get our drinking water from,

is affected. Thus, filtration would be much difficult and more costly. Imagine drinking 300 ml for 5 pesos more than its current price.

Addressing Mount Kitanglad and Mount Kalatungan’s problem on defor-estation would be considered a huge step in solving a fundamental issue concerning the planet we’re living on. Mijares, explains, “Climate change is answered through mitigation and ad-aptation. This project is an adaptation measure but is more on mitigation.”

Famous Hungarian physiologist, Albert Szent-Györgyi, once said that Water is life’s matter and matrix, mother and medium. It is essential not only for us, humans, but for every other living organism as well for its role on almost all bodily functions. PES encourages companies, churches, households, and the whole community to take part in saving the environment because after all, there’s only one planet in our solar system with enough supply of water.

15

16

It takes rough, bumpy, steep and muddy

roads not to mention the dirt and dust that

would embrace your face in approximately

four hours of travel from Cagayan de Oro City

passing through Lumbia to reach Miarayon. But

all the troubles experienced fades the moment

you witness the mountain ranges that wrap Mi-

arayon; the sound of rivers that tickles your ear,

and the freezing air that kisses your skin as the

sight of the people from the community giving

you their warm welcome.

Sneak peek at the peak

“Sometimes, some of the strangers

are afraid to go in this place because of

the story about killings. But when they

try to go in this place, they will realize

that Miarayon is not a society of where

the killers and murderers live; but a

place for everyone who are good,” testi-

fies Christian Baya-on, a fourth year high school

student of St. Therese School of Miarayon in his

composition entitled, “Miaryon Nature of Beau-

ty.”

Being a far-flung area with unpleasant sto-

ries being told, Miarayon was noted to be un-

safe in the context of people living in the heart

of the city. What is not unveiled in this place is

the peace that engulfs the barangay nestled

in between the two mountain ranges: Mt. Ka-

latungan and Mt. Kitanglad. Of the six baran-

gays of Miarayon-Lapok-Lirongan-Tinaytayan

Talaandig Tribal Association (MILALITTTRA),

barangay Miarayon has the largest area. With

approximately 3,807 hectares, it houses more

or less 600 families.

In Miarayon, a horse in the garden is nor-

mal, to ask for broccoli in the neighborhood is

normal, and to access free cold and clean drink-

ing water is normal. One should also get used

to seeing people in the tribe smiling at whoever

they meet halfway. They even offer by-passers

to share with them their tasty local coffee rich

in aroma.

Hike for better life

Every normal day in Miarayon is a hike;

not just a hike on the mountains but a hike for

knowledge, a hike for fairness and a hike for

better life.

Undoubtedly, Miarayon is a place of bounty.

Calla lilies, potatoes, cabbages, coffees, and

carrots among others are their basic commodi-

ties. In fact, they are very particular in high value

crops. With these, you can insert oversimplifica-

tion and conclude that they get high earnings

with their products. Ideally, this is supposed-

ly true but in reality, the middleman (the one

who buys their products and sells it in the city)

names the price and the farmers have no choice

but to compromise since they lack knowledge

when it comes to business and processing food.

For instance, here in the city, flower ven-

dors in San Agustine Church (Cathedral) sell

the well-known product of Miarayon, the calla

lilies for P10.00 per piece. However, bought

in Miarayon, these flowers are just sold for

P10.00-P12.00 a dozen by the locals!

“Ang mga middleman de-sakyanan

na, pero kami nga mga magbubukid,

gabaklay lang gihapon,” shares Rio D.

Besto also known as the Datu Dungkuan, the

Datu of barangay Miarayon.

Mountains couldn’t echo their needs

Mountains could echo the tribe’s voices but

not their needs; mountains can lead the tribe at

the peak but for their rights it could never speak.

Although Datu Dungkuan admits that the

government has nothing to do with their product

dealings, he opens up that it would be better if

the local government and agencies could ad-

dress their needs, particularly providing facilities

to help them in processing their commodities.

He cites that if only they have the facilities to

process the carrots into carrot juices then they

do not have to sell the whole harvest of carrots

to the middleman from which he can envision

higher earnings, which in the first place, they

deserve.

Another is that Datu Dungkuan thinks that

providing the barangay with facilities is never

enough if they do not have the knowledge in

using them. Thus, the essence of learning is

therefore a priceless thing for them. Seminars

and lectures for the farmers are definitely ap-

preciated if only the mountains are never too far

for the people to initiate efforts for the Talaandig

tribe to get noticed and be heard.

Education in the barangay is highly valu-

able. May it be for the farmers or the students,

they should be aware and be more informed

with what is essential for them to know. The ba-

rangay has several elementary schools nearby

but only one high school exist, which is a private

school. It’s either they pay the tuition fees or do

not even proceed the secondary level at all.

As of now, computers are not even formally

introduced to them. Having their place far from

the heart of the city, the people in Miarayon

hope that they are not far from the hearts of the

people who could possibly address their needs.

17

Education offers a longer solution to existing

problems in the community. Having more effi-

cient and knowledgeable students could offer

Miarayon the much-needed lift for their tribe.

The mishap

Aside from the mesmerizing sceneries and

captivating culture in Miarayon, the place is also

home to the twin giant mountains of Bukidnon

– Mt. Kitanglad and Mt. Kalatungan. Over the

years, several environmental problems have

emerged posing serious threats to the sustain-

ability of the forests; worse, forest degradation

and denudation has consistently landed in the

top ecological problems concerning the wood-

lands in Bukidnon.

On the other hand, situated in a low-lying

area in Mindanao near the provinces of Lanao

Del Norte and Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City

forms as a catch basin of water from the rivers

in the highlands especially from Kitanglad and

Kalatungan.

Consequently, at a least expected time,

Mindanao experienced the harsh backfire of

Mother Nature. In December 2011, the wrath

of Typhoon Sendong struck, with Cagayan de

Oro suffering the most devastation. It has been

found out that prior to the Sendong tragedy, a

heavy deluge of rain started in the mountains of

Bukidnon and Lanao. Since there are few trees

left in the watershed to retain the water, mud

and stones came rushing down to Cagayan de

Oro during the downpour.

The remedy

Environmental advocates in the city have

constantly expressed their concern in ensur-

ing the sustainability of the environment and

shielding it from further degradation. However,

desperate calls for environmental protection

has put to neglect with a more persistent and

dominating existence of illegal logging in the

uplands.

The massive disaster in the city brought

about by Sendong, has then prompted the gov-

ernment, other organizations and institutions

in the city, as well as the locals to finally craft

sustainable and long-term solutions to address

climate risk reduction and environmental degra-

dation, not only in the city but also from where

the flood water stems from – the highlands.

Hence, the Payment for Ecological

Services (PES) Project was born.

Managed by the Xavier Science Foundation

(XSF), the PES Project primarily aims to reha-

bilitate the forests in the upland areas so as to

provide continuous supply of potable water to

Cagayan de Oro and ensure low flood probabil-

ities in the locality.

“Its [PES Project] goals is one, adequate

water supply and then to control or minimize the

natural disasters here in Cagayan de Oro,” PES

Project Head Anne Mijares explains.

The PES project encourages various stake-

holders and buyers from different sectors to

partake in a “paying scheme” to recuperate

denuded forests in Mt. Kalatungan and Mt. Ki-

tanglad. Payments acquired in the project will

be forwarded to the Miarayon, Lapok, Lirongan,

Tinaytayan, Talaandig Tribal Association (MI-

LALITTTRA) which will then be utilized for their

Community Development Plan (CDP).

Having locals who maintain and supervise

the reforestation in the area, the project also in-

tends to reward and provide additional income

to these Indigenous People communities for

protecting and ensuring the sustainability of the

forests.

In full cooperation

The Talaandig Tribe in Miarayon, Bukidnon

are also more than willing to offer their services

for the benefit of the bigger community as a

whole. In fact, the tribe has committed 832 hect-

ares of their land for reforestation while another

816 hectares is allotted for agroforestry.

“Kami man gu’y directly involved nga

gabantay sa among kalasangan so naa

pu’y ilang [stakeholders or buyers] participa-

tion nga bayad nga mu-support sad sila

sa among mga project… but not in terms of

money… but services,” shares Datu Rio Besto.

Aside from the partnership of the highland

communities and the low-lying urban society,

the social marketing arm of the PES program

also ensures cooperation of the people in the

locality.

This coming November, the social mar-

keting team will launch a promotion scheme

entitled “Valuing Ecosystem Services Together

(VEST)” which will endorse the project to the

public and encourage buyers and stakeholders

from various corporations, cooperatives, reli-

gious groups, academic institutions and house-

holds in the city.

Few months after its preliminary launching,

the project already received an overwhelming

moral and financial support from different or-

ganizations including MASS-SPECC, the fed-

eration of cooperatives in Mindanao, the Oro

Savings and Sharing Cooperative and the Min-

18

danao Development Authority (MinDA).

However, being a stakeholder of this project

is not only limited to big corporations or coop-

eratives nor to high-priced monetary payments.

Payments are of any amount and in-kind con-

tributions for the project can also be greatly ac-

cepted. So, if you are an average Kagay-anon

or a typical student, you may buy seedlings for

reforestation or you can also encourage your

friends to do the same.

To ensure the value of the stakeholder’s

contributions, a regular quarterly monitoring of

the development of the project will be done. The

XSF will also provide a performance report for

the buyers and stakeholders.

Sacred dwellings

Under the PES project, over 170 Bantay La-

sang Volunteers or “Forest guards” have been

entrusted to regularly observe, protect, and sus-

tain the development of Mt. Kalatungan. As for-

est guards, they are rewarded with cash or with

development projects in compensation of their

services for the environment. However, there is

more to just receiving a reward.

“Ang kinabuhi sa tribo naa sa kala-

sangan so katungod namo nga panalip-

dan,” says Datu Rio.

More than earning an extra income for their

living, the locals of Miarayon perceive the pro-

tection and maintenance of the forests as some-

thing sacred and important. For them, the forest

is their source of living, their worship place, their

home, their life.

“Nagtu-o man gud mi nga ang ka-

lasangan diha among simbahan kay

diha man mi ga perform sa among ritu-

als… mao ng direkta gyud ang lasang

sa among kinabuhi,” shares Datu Rio.

Furthermore, Datu Dahenio, Head of the

Forest Guards shares that they not only partic-

ipating in the project to earn but they are also

more than glad to help the people in the low-ly-

ing cities.

“Dili ra sa kami ra ang maapektar

[effects of deforestation], mismong kamong

taga syudad, usa gyud mo sa makalu-

lu-oy. So ako nag-tabang ko karon ni

Datu Rio ug [kaninyo] ug nag-protekta ko

sa kalasangan,” says Datu Dahenio.

Valuing the environment has really become

a hard-earned lesson for the Kagay-anons.In-

deed, Sendong has really become an eye-open-

er for all of us yet an eye-opener is no more than

a useless agent if we don’t take action to pre-

vent such from happening again. With PES and

other efforts of various people and institutions

being brought right in front of us, perhaps now is

the time to engage and take action. Know how

you can help, know what you can do and know

when to start the change in you.

19

20

A city in bloom, in blossom, and

in boom” – For quite a num-

ber of years, this slogan have

upheld the undeniable prospering of

Cagayan de Oro. However, as mod-

ernization envelopes the city and as in-

dustries and infrastructures continue to

rise, will we still be able to attend to the

needs of nature? Will we still witness a

greener kind of growth?

Sprouting shoots

In spite of the fast growing commer-

cial spots in the city, there are still those

who stick to traditional farming as their

living, just like Mr. and Mrs. Roel Gayla.

The couple are locals of Barangay

Pagatpat, Cagayan de Oro City. Even

with the advent of widespread com-

mercialism, they still preferred to grow

bamboo in their area in Pagatpat. The

same goes with their relatives, Mr. and

Mrs. Victor Gayla. Both couples are

farmers and members of the Kulago

Farmer’s Association (KFA) – a Com-

munity-Based Forestry Management

People’s Organization (CBFM-PO) in

Barangay Pagatpat.

From their ancestors to the present

members of the Gayla family, farming

has already been their profession, pas-

sion, habit, happiness and above all,

source of income, food and furnitures.

“Sugod bata pako kalipay na nako

ang pagtanom-tanom og pagsaka-sa-

ka sa bukid bisag unsa pa kainit o

maskigabagyo”, Mr.Roel shared.

The Gayla farmers are some of the pioneer-

ing planters of bamboo in their area for more

than seven years now. Mr. Roel has 6,800

square meters farm area where he is growing

more than 50 bamboo shoots or poles. While

Mr. Victor on the other hand, has more than

2,000 square meters farm area where some of

his plants are bamboo. Both of them sell bam-

boo poles, materials and furniture. As President

of KFA, he does his best to represent, help and

share something to his members.

Significance of the substance

Bambusaspinosa or a giant grass pop-

ularly known as bamboo or ‘kawayan’, is not

new to the Philippine vicinity; however, not

many sees its actual importance.

The extraordinary capacity of bamboo to

yield a wide range of products lends itself well

to inclusion of Cagayan de Oro’s prosperity.

Of bamboo’s many potential yields and appli-

cations, the most significant that Kagay-anons

benefit include: domestic use, commercial pro-

duction, ornamental, landscape and conserva-

tion uses.

Furthermore, benefits for the farmers in-

clude: wider economic opportunity, increased

habitat for beneficial species, and lower man-

agement costs. It has been sustainably useful

because it is a fast growing and self-generat-

ing resource which also contributes to the fast

growing economy and ecology of Cagayan de

Oro.

On the other hand, bamboo is a multipur-

pose plant not only for economic values but also

for great ecological benefits. Bamboo protects

the environment and cleanses the air. Research

shows that it releases 35% more oxygen com-

pared to other trees. Some bamboo can se-

quester up to 12 tons of carbon dioxide from the

air per hectare. It also decreases light intensity

and protects man against ultraviolet rays.

Projects to progress

Fortunately, the Local Government of

Cagayan de Oro, along with other officials from

government and private sectors, as well as

with the locals of Barangay Pagatpat, crafted

a project entitled “Application and piloting sus-

tainable ENR technologies in the rehabilitation

of typhoon affected upland and coastal areas”.

The project is currently working on establishing

a one hectare bamboo plantation and one hect-

are agroforestry plantation in the said barangay.

According to Rosalia B. Acub, research

leader of the said project, “Bamboo and agro-

forestry technologies have been proven and

tested as potential sources of livelihood options

and can rehabilitate denuded CBFM areas.”

On the other hand, as quoted in SunStar,

City Mayor Oscar Moreno said that “Bamboo

plantation project does not only mitigate the

impact of environmental degradation, espe-

cially soil erosion along riverbanks, but it also

provides good opportunity for livelihood to the

farmers in the area.”

Life is innately indeed filled with a myriad of

growth, evolution, progress and development.

As human beings, we must move together upon

intervening and designing our fate to achieve

progress not only within ourselves but also with

the nature, community, city, and country as a

whole. The society is spelling out alternatives

nowadays, it is our responsibility to choose and

probably change for the betterment of the pres-

ent and future.

21

As industrialization continues to flourish, it is noticeable how more factories and businesses

have mushroomed everywhere. More enhancing chemicals for different hu-man wants and necessities have also come out. Yet, converse to these devel-opments are the threats it carry out to the environment that backfires on hu-man through its water sources.

Water as a vital factor for human to survive, should be taken into consider-ation on every venture that has to do with the environment even in the least action. Nature is where we get our basic needs thus, everything taken into the body should be inspected. This is when

government agencies and non-govern-ment organizations intervene to ensure that human safety and environment sta-bility is monitored.

COWD

Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD) started as an independent wa-ter district on August 1, 1973 under the leadership of Engr Ernesto B San Juan, its first general manager. It primarily worked with only 3,500 service connec-tions which were expected to distribute 12,200 cubic meters per day to con-sumers as far as 39 kilometers only.

Over the years, COWD grew larger in terms of its service locations, facilities as well as the projects to maintain and

improve its service to deliver safe water to its consumers. Its service areas has stretched over the city and including the municipalities nearby – Opol and Tago-loan.

Despite the efforts of COWD to sus-tain and expand its services, concerned agencies still take reserves that the wa-ter source is murky due to substances that may cause harm to human health.

Save Cagayan de Oro Now Move-ment (Save CDO) expressed their sen-timents and worries on the possible harm brought about by the agri-chem-icals from big plantations of Bukidnon province that are flowing into Lapinigan Creek.

22

Lapinigan creek is connected to Bubunawan River where Rio Verde Water Consortium, Inc. draws off wa-ter that is delivered for COWD. COWD then distributes this to households and establishments around the city.

“Every time it rains, it drains to Bubu-nawan River and it is being siphoned by Rio Verde, and brought by water district to your households,” says Save CDO Now chair, Ralph Abragan.

To be not like Davao’s watershed

City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO) admin, Edwin Dael, also suspects that water being brought have toxic content. He is alarmed that the same incident as Davao would hit Cagayan de Oro.

It has been reported last 2013 that Davao City’s Talomo-Lipadas and Pan-igan-Tamugan (TL-PT) watersheds were contaminated with chemicals from aerial spraying of pesticides on banana plantations.

However COWD Human Relations and Information Division manager, Ladele A Sagrado, assures the public that the water brought to them is clean, potable and safe for drinking.

Its management monitors the water supply form Rio Verde through conduct-ing physical and chemical examination twice a year and sends it to an accred-ited company in Cebu City for result.

Also, they do bacteriological analysis from 80 distribution points on a daily basis and examine it in their station at Barangay Macasandig.

Furthermore, they follow the pre-scribed guidelines of the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Wa-ter (PNSWD) which sets the standard amount of organic and inorganic chem-ical compositions for safe water con-sumption.

No evidence

Both parties have been asking for evidences that would settle the issue yet none were able to show documents to prove claims.

“We’ve asked them, Rio Verde and Water District, how they will be able to convince us that the water that ends up in our faucet is safe. But they have not proven otherwise that’s why we have a strong conviction that the water has tox-ic on it,” Abragan said.

The Badal family of Zone 4, Bugo has been living in the city for almost two decades and has been drinking wa-ter from their faucet without taking any treatment to kill any possible presence of bacteria.

“Nawasa naman na daan ang

among tubig. Ug sa pagpuyo

namo dani, wala pa man hinuon

mi ingon nga nagsakit mi tanan

tungod sa tubig,” said Judith, 49.

COWD is confident that they are distributing quality water to their con-sumers. Moreover, they do not distrib-ute water without proper scrutiny and treatment.

“Sa kadugay na sa among opera-tion, we have not encountered nor was there any legit report about contaminat-ed water,” Sagrado assures.

23

When we have a chance to stroll on places near riverbanks and seas

we sometimes encounter these green floras that grow in inundated areas; ly-ing and standing as if they’re guarding this watery sanctuary.

A mangrove is a member of Rhizoporaceae family. It holds an important role in the environment as it serves as the cradle for various baby marine species that will grow and eventually rule the depths of the sea and rivers. It also safeguards commu-nities in the coastal areas from rang-ing waves due to typhoons and strong winds. Moreover, it absorbs water and air pollution in the vicinity.

In Brgy. Punta Bonbon, Cagayan de Oro City, mangroves are consid-ered to be a ‘treasure’ because of the countless benefits it provide the com-munity.

Mr. Rollie Delfin, a local fisherman in the community, shared about how mangroves helped him sustain their daily family expenses. He recalled that

the mangrove system in their barangay started in the year 2001. As member of the Sari-Sari Fisherman Association (SSFA), he is one of the pioneering planters of mangroves in their area after their group partnered with the De-partment of Agriculture (DA). Almost 7,000 propagules were planted that year. However, the propagules had a very low survival rate.

In 2005, the Department of En-vironment and Natural Resources (DENR) continued the mangrove plant-ing partnering with various schools, establishments and offices. After a few years, mangroves have successfully grown in the area giving the residents noticeable benefits like increase fish catch including “Kinason” or sea-shell.

“Sauna katong wala pay mangrove, mukuha lang mi ibu-tang ta mga isa ka gallon, karon na naa nay mangrove moabot nag mga tuloka gallon” Mr. Del-fin attests the change after mangroves successfully grew in their barangay.

Mr. Delfin also shares his disap-pointment on people who lack under-standing about the benefits of man-grove. The problem then boils down from people’s ignorance and absence of active caretakers.

City Government efforts

Various Government offices like the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) took a heed in maintaining, sustaining and growing of mangrove system in Brgy. Punta, Bonbon. Now, the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO) inherited the project. They had a full blast of planting this year partnering with various offices, schools, and establishments in the city.

Ms. Elizabeth Sumabong, the chief of Land and Forest Manage-ment Division of CLENRO pointed out that this project is not that easy to attain. “Kailangan ta mag sugod sa taas paingon sa ubos, from ridge, river to reefs, mao nang gitawag ni siya na integrated

project”, Ms. Sumabong said. Man-grove planting headed by CLENRO started May and June this year which is known to be the “Ocean Month” and “Environment Month”.

As of now, the total number of Mangrove Propagules planted in Brgy. Punta, Bonbon is 22,800 in an area of 9.12 hectares. That’s 2,500 prop-agules per hectare with 2x2 meter spacing. Ms. Sumabong said that the planting program will continue until a lot of mangrove trees will reach its full potential paving its way to the top like the excellent mangrove system in Bohol.

Various efforts and projects were already made to establish and rehabil-itate mangrove system here in the city. It is now the time for us to cooperate on such crusade and be able to do some-thing good about the ecological bal-ance of Cagayan de Oro which will not just benefit us or the city but eventually with the rippling effect that it brings, the entirety of the nation will follow.

24

Saving the waters of the coast-al barangays in Cagayan de Oro City has been one of the

main concerns of the city govern-ment. The statistics provided by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Re-sources (BFAR) showed a huge de-pletion among the coastal resources which alarmed the citizens and the local officials.

Among the thirteen coastal ba-rangays lining the east coast of Cagayan de Oro City, Gusa contrib-uted greatly to the economy and live-lihood in the locality. It remained as the main source of fish catch in the city along with the barangays, Agu-san, Bayabas, Bonbon, Bugo, Bu-lua, Cugman, Lapasan, Macabalan and Puerto supplying approximately 16,843 MT/year – but not for long.

In the previous years, the safety of the coral reefs in Gusa was not granted by any strictly-enforced law. It drove away the fish from their natural sanctuary and resulted to a decrease of fish catch. Aside from the man-made destruction, natural calamities such as tropical storm Sendong in 2011 leave huge devastation in the aquatic region. Mangrove were uprooted, a large number of debris coming from the destruction sunk in the waters, trashes floated with the strong current of water and, dead bodies were buried alive. Barangay Gusa remained vulnerable to these.

For the past three years of struggling to alleviate the condition of this coastal barangay, government officials set a series of meetings to

plan for a project that would save the waters of Gusa. But before these implementations, they are faced with two main problems. First, a large number of families could not be relocated immediately for the lack of a relocation site. Second, the on-going construction of dike that will build concrete structures along the coastal bays hinders any project to improve the coastal area.

Accordingly, a series of meetings to plan the program was held and organized by the Gusa Seaside Fisherfolks Association (GUSEAFA). Linkages were made with national agencies and assistance was provided by the city agriculture office. Project priorities and concerns, an implementation scheme, and sources for funds were singled

25

out as well. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) also joined in this program along with the (APO), City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO), Barangay council and Macajalar Bay Development Alliance (MBDA).

The people are together to pay more closely to the development of the coastal bay of Gusa. Programs implemented are fish sanctuary, artificial coral reefs and mangrove reforestation. The 8.6 hectare sanctuary remains within the 30% allowable coastal area in terms of Maritime and Fishery Laws provisions. A floating guard is maintained around the area to keep secure the sanctuary. Concrete pyramid corals, 43 of which are lodged within the perimeters which are also marked by stryopore balls. A mangrove reforestation project was later tested in the coastal waters. Though strong currents failed it initially, the working group found a more strategic location. Eventually, they decided to try planting the seedlings along the creek area. However, because of the tragedy caused by tropical storm Sendong the programs that were implemented were greatly affected.

The implementation of the

mangrove reforestation took place on August 27, 2002 wherein the GUSEAFA president attended a seminar in Ozamis City on the proper growth of mangroves. Currently, there’s approximately 1 hectare of Mangrove that were successfully operating in Barangay Gusa. The working group first attempted to plant the seedlings in the sanctuary. However, the bamboo railings were not strong enough against the currents. The seedlings were washed off and caused the group a major loss. This project didn’t come easy among those who labored extremely. If the Mangrove was unstable enough and was washed off, the people repeatedly plant them until such time the mangrove builds a firm root and become beneficial to fishes.

When this aquatic project was introduced to the citizens living nearby Gusa, they worried about the preserved area wherein they thought it would lessen and affect their usual catch. However maintenance to this project and due to increased monitoring, a possible change was shown. The number of fish catches among residents doubled. “Dili gyud manghawa ang mga isda bisan naa rami sa duol,” says one of the implementers. Before the project was implemented, fisher folks were

experiencing slow days. Now, with the reforestation of the Mangrove, there has been an improvement of the aquatic status in Gusa.

Elizabeth Sumabong, chief of Land and Forest Management Division of CLENRO, states, “In the increased monitoring and clean-up activities that have become part of the community’s culture, the fisher folks in Gusa are more assured of their livelihood.”

Presently, the Gusa fish sanctuary remains to be sustainable. These improvements are essential to the locals taking their living off the sea. More importantly, the project is Gusa’s contribution to restoring the glory of the marine ecosystem that witnessed the growth of CDO as a city. Positive results were also evident in the mangrove plantation and erosion along the banks has also been prevented. Although coastal Gusa is only a spot considering the long stretch of the Macajalar Bay, its contribution to preserving marine life cannot be taken for granted.

26

Industrialization is defined as a pro-cess of converting to a socioeco-nomic order in which industry is

dominant; where social change and economics are closely related with technological innovation. As it comes to pass, industrialization changes the society. It provides more efficient ways to accomplish tasks, and subsequently gives specialized jobs to people. In-dustrialization makes things easier to do, which is possible for a person to produce more at a shorter given time frame. Nevertheless, are these rea-sons enough to overlook its damaging effects on us and our environment?

According to the 2013 World Bank statistics, the economy of the Philippines is the 39th largest in the world, and is also one of its emerging markets. The Philippines is considered as a newly industrialized country, tran-sitioning from being one based on agri-culture to one based more on services and manufacturing.

In Cagayan de Oro, many indus-tries are slowly rising. The retail and real estate industries, as well as the car and tourism industries, are boom-ing. Numerous structures are being built: malls, hotels, restaurants, and condominiums. Considering that it pro-duces more job openings, this boom

can be a positive thing. These chang-es have quite the tendency to attract tourists and investors, consequently developing and advancing the city’s economy.

For instance, Limketkai Center, home to one of the largest and most modern shopping-center complex in Northern Mindanao, has just recently opened the Luxe Hotel and Gateway Tower as additions to their growing business. These establishments stand like welcoming edifices to the visitors of our growing city. Ayala’s newest venture, the Centrio Mall, also helped improve the economic status of the city. Also, the Del Monte Philippines Inc. (Bugo Cannery) has become one of the city’s leading companies in terms of manpower.

“Industrialization is the rise of buildings and civilization. It has a great impact on the soci-ety for it gives the people living near our factory jobs which help them in their everyday lives.” Mr. Eric Dalida, Del Monte (Bugo Cannery) Supervisor, stated during an interview. “And regarding its effects on the environment, we make sure that no chemicals are thrown just about anywhere to assure the safety of the individuals liv-ing near the area.”

“Nakatabang man ang Del Monte sa amo. Akong asawa natagaan og trabaho…” add-ed one of the local women in Bugo. When asked if the cannery brought any harmful effects to them and their surrounding areas, she opined that no such thing was happening.

These companies contribute to the betterment of the economy of the city and the lives of each of its citizens.

Effects of industrialization

Industrialization has a multitude of positive effects. The establishment of power machines and factories supplied jobs to numerous Kagay-anons and allowed the people to buy products at very reasonable prices. This created a surge in the economy, which in turn allowed for better health care, educa-tion, infrastructure and the like. Indus-trialization also improves a person’s lifestyle. Because of the merchandises produced by the factories and the ser-vices offered, the tasks that took much of our time and effort before takes less now. Food processing has also greatly improved ever since mass production was innovated.

But despite industrialization’s helpful effects, it also has undesirable impacts to the society. These impacts affect the lives and the living of the people. Urban areas have doubled-up

in size, which led to overcrowding in the cities. Hence, as the population increases, various health problems will surface. Moreover, according to the 2010 Census of Population, the city’s population is 602,088, making CdeO the 10th most populous city in the Phil-ippines.

Furthermore, massive amounts of trees are cut down to make way for industries, which is why we easily suf-fer from floods and landslides. Waste secretions from industries increase air and water pollution. Chemicals dis-posed in rivers and seas poison the fish, consequently making the people who live on coastal areas sick. Addi-tionally, ever since the invention of the automobile – the transportation used by most of the people in CdeO – the average temperature of the Earth has risen. Finally, many industries in CdeO emit carbon dioxide (CO2), which is one of the greenhouse gases that con-tribute to Global Warming.

So, I am asking you again: Are these positive results enough to over-look the damaging effects of industri-alization on us and our environment? Are you willing to sacrifice your health and our environment to attain a cer-tain economic status? Is it economic ascent that you select, or is it environ-mental downfall that you’ll choose?

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We are the stewards of our borrowed life. Our bodies are not our own

property. It is our responsibility to protect, rehabilitate and preserve it. But do we care enough to know our limitations?

Organics: Defining Green.

Organic living is a kind of life-style in which you need to be care-ful on your food choices that can bring about the conservation and preservation of the environment.

Lee O’Hara, author of the Introducing Organic Living article delineates organic living as “of or relating to food stuff grown or raised without syn-thetic fertilizers, pesticides or hormones; organic eggs, organic vegetables; organic chicken, etc.”

He even stressed that organic living is simple, healthful and close to nature, as in organic lifestyle. This also means living a balanced lifestyle - balanced in a sense that you need to decide on your choic-es intelligently and responsibly. The choices we make have a pos-itive impact for us, the community and the earth.

The PROS and CONS

Imagine yourself dining on a finest restaurant or a famous food chain in town and you ordered food that is according to your appetite. Y o u ordered it on

what was seen on television screens, but, are we sure where the food was produced? Do you know that there can be harmful substances that we unconsciously eat?

“There are two things to look or consider. First, if you plant or-ganically, chances are it will take time for harvest and production. The use of natural fertilizers, com-post, etc. can help you determine a natural way of harvesting crops. This will also give consumers the feeling of security in eating organ-ically-produced food considering that it is free from additives. Fam-ers on the other hand, take time to harvest thus allowing them to have low returns or income. However, the price of every harvested crop (fruit or vegetable) is high,” said during an interview with the Xavier University Press Director Mr. Ev-ans Rosauro I. Yonson. E

According to the research done by the Healthy Child Healthy World organization, food produced inorganically may have higher risks to our health. Research shows that commercial meats have synthet-ic hormones. The synthetic hor-mones that are fed to cattle in order to hasten their trip to the slaughter-houses have negative effects on our health; these hormones sur-vive the cooking process and end up in our body.

The “GREEN ADVOCACY”

To start living organically, we should contend to ourselves

to be disci-

plined individuals. Organic garden-ing or farming can be one strategic foundation of green living.

Successful businesswoman and politician Ms. Lourdes “Lulu” V. Abad shares her advocacy to her own barangay. Aside from be-ing an environmentalist, Ms. Lulu encouraged her fellow farmers to make full use of the natural re-sources given by God. Lulu does these things for she wanted to be an “agent of change” towards ag-ricultural development. “Health is wealth,” she exclaimed. “My body is not my personal property. I am the steward of it. It is for me to pro-tect, rehabilitate and conserve it.”

For health is wealth, Ms. Jem Ferrer, also shares her awful ex-periences back when she was still sickly on her interview. Life has been hard for her battling all the maladies. From then on, she started changing. It is best if we start to change as e a r l y as now to s t o p possible health and en-viron-ment

complications in the near future. We say, prevention is better than cure.

“The level of acidity (pH) and salinity of food bases should be taken with serious action. We need to be meticulous on our food choices, whether where the food is produced and how it is being pro-cessed.” She said that the ideal level of acidity is 7pH or 7.4pH.

As an organic living enthusiast, she stressed out that our bodies should also need Alkaline based water for intakes, such that, alka-line assists the body to recover the normal pH and to heal itself. It also helps detoxify by improving elimi-nation through urination, transpira-tion and defecation.

Being “organic” is not just a fad. “Everything is based out of your consciousness. Our choices matter and we should know the trends of food, the environment and the kind of health and life-style. We matter based on our food choices, consumer choices, the use of organic cleaning products, to stop over spending and learning the Part of saving, and lastly, by being wise. We are gifted enough to discern everything especially in making decisions. After all, we are the stewards of our own life.

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30

With the Philippine popu-

lation hitting a new mile-

stone with the birth of

the 100 millionth Filipino on July 27,

this might only highlight the current

problems that the Philippines is facing.

Existing issues in food security, em-

ployment, health, and the environment

might prove to be a tough challenge to

overcome for both the government and

the people, especially in its capability

to sustain at least 100 million Filipinos.

This begs the question: what is a good

solution to address these issues?

The answer to this might even be

lying in our one’s backyard – urban ag-

riculture.

Urban Agriculture is one of the many

solutions that could be used to ensure

food security in the Philippines. It is sim-

ply the growing of one’s own food in a

specific area in their house. The prac-

tice first flourished in the Philippines

during the 1990s, when the Bureau of

Agricultural Research conceptualized

the urban agriculture program. It was

first introduced in Quezon City until the

practice reached Cagayan de Oro City

in 1995. Urban Agriculture proved to be

effective when 13,000 small-scale farm-

ers were able to produce 2, 276 hect-

ares of agricultural land in some peri-ur-

ban areas in Cagayan de Oro.

There are different ways of doing Ur-

ban Agriculture, but basically it requires

the utilization of plastic bottles or other

containers (e.g, plastic basins, rubber

tires) as plant pots. Urban Container

Gardening (UCG) is a project spear-

headed by Perfecto Rom, an Agricul-

ture graduate of Xavier University (XU),

that promotes the usage of recycled

plastic and bio wastes for planting. An

application of this technique in XU can

be seen most evidently in the 2nd floor

of its Science Center building, which

houses an indoor garden, with plants

stored in used plastic bottles. Rom de-

fined UCG as, “an inexpensive way of

growing one’s own food anywhere in

the house using recyclable containers

and soil mixed with compost made from

household wastes as fertilizers.”

The advantages

Due to its nature to use materials

that are readily available at home, it is

cost-effective. However cost-effective-

ness is only one of the many advantag-

es of UCG or Urban Agriculture in gen-

eral. It also addresses the issue in food

security and promotes the consumption

of organic food.

Rom highlights the UCG’s acces-

sibility as a main factor to consider,

as it provides good quality crops with

minimal costs and avoids the usage of

chemicals in the planting process. Using

chemicals, especially when it comes to

the planting and growing of one’s food,

should be done with caution since it will

have effects on the body in the long run.

“If you grow your own food, you have

available, accessible, affordable, safe

and nutritious to consume nga food,”

he says.

Moreover, Urban Agriculture also

saves energy and helps the environ-

ment. Rom explains that if more people

will grow and produce their own food in

the city, the demand for food in the lo-

cal market will decrease. This, in turn,

will decrease the need to transport food

from the rural area, lessening gas us-

age.

According to Moses Tan, a farmer

and the manager of Chiongbian Tan

Nature Foods, the said practice will help

establish a mini green zone, which will

lessen the carbon emission in the atmo-

sphere by vegetative filtration from the

plants grown at home.

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Urban Agriculture is also able to of-

fer financially problematic families live-

lihood opportunities through the use of

easy and efficient planting methods, as

well as a decrease in market prices for

specific goods and crops. Since the de-

mand for food from the rural area will

decrease due to the usage of Urban Ag-

riculture, market vendors will be forced

to sell their goods at a cheaper price,

allowing less fortunate people to afford

to provide more for their families.

Not only that but if more people will

learn to use Urban Agriculture, it can im-

prove Filipinos’ diets, as they have more

access to vegetables and other crops.

Due to this, Urban Agriculture, in a way,

attends to the nation’s issue of health by

improving their diets.

Rom explains that the widespread

use of Urban Agriculture wouldn’t just

help the environment but it would also

help the less fortunate, as it manifests

in ways that could solve these problems

(e.g, less carbon emission, recycling of

non-biodegradable materials, decrease

in market prices).

“Gardening is our indirect

way of helping the poor access

cheaper vegetables,” he opines.

The downside

However, Glen Janubas, employee

at the Department of Agriculture (DA)

and advocate of Urban Agriculture, un-

derscores that Urban Agriculture is only

small-scale and will not survive in the

main scale, especially in sustaining the

big market.

“Dili sila [rural farmers] maapek-

tohan. Gamay ra man kaayo na

sa Urban Agriculture. Dili sila ma-

ka-support sa big markets. Ang sa

gardening man gud, for consumption

lang and kung naa’y sobra, mao

na’y ibaligya nila,” she explains.

Government Efforts

With the benefits of urban agricul-

ture to meet the needs of the nation, as

well as to address some of its issues,

projects to increase awareness on ur-

ban agriculture are underway.

The Department of Agriculture is

giving seminars about Urban Agricul-

ture in various parts of the nation. They

are now holding seminars in schools,

but they are also open to hold it in com-

munities. The DA’s project to promote

awareness on Urban Agriculture is only

put into effect until 2016.

From the average backyard, Urban

Agriculture offers many opportunities to

have crops with minimal costs. Ranging

from the usage of recycled materials to

the provision of more food for financial-

ly-challenged people, its benefits prove

to be helpful in ensuring the country’s

concern with food security. Programs

raising awareness about the capac-

ities of urban agriculture should be

advertised more by the government.

Moreover, pre-existing programs that

do exactly this should be extended until

Urban Agriculture is widespread, as this

could be a step towards a more environ-

ment-friendly Philippines.

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