Dangcalan: Challenges and opportunities

WE HAVE never been in a more difficult situation than where we are now and our world has never been in a much darker place than where it is today. Colossal challenges are at our horizon.

"The Manny Pacquiao Blog". Click here for stories and updates on the Filipino boxing champ.

Global Warming and Climate Change

We are facing what could be the greatest threat to humanity and that is global warming. The effects of global warming, which are great and many, are causing damage all over the world. Stronger typhoons, heavier downpours, and longer droughts are putting a dent on the economy, agriculture, and healthcare. Last year, two monstrous typhoons, Ondoy and Pepeng, came causing an unprecedented devastation to our country. They inundated towns and hammered industries. They cost lives and health and well being.

Now, a dry spell is wreaking havoc to our country. It is causing millions (probably even billions) of pesos in damages in the agricultural sector and in the country’s economy as a whole.

We have just had a taste of the destructive potential of climate change brought by global warming and will soon be facing more of its ever-growing wrath. Rising sea levels will soon consume our coastlines. More virulent water-borne diseases caused by hotter and wetter conditions will soon break our already frail health. However, we are still acting irresponsibly. We’re still polluting our habitat, wasting our natural resources, and ignoring our laws that were supposedly created to protect the environment and combat climate change.

Economic Crunch

We are reeling from a global financial meltdown. Economic powerhouses such as United States of America, Japan, and many European nations have slipped into an economic recession. US, the world’s largest economy, is suffering from unemployment woes, a housing bust, and a credit crunch.

Our country may seem like it has been spared from such a disaster as it posted positive growth last year. However, that growth is quite dismal. Moreover, our economy is highly dependent on remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). This is a bad thing. Remember that many of the OFWs are working in countries who are suffering either from a recession or an “economic slowdown”. There’s no need to imagine what would happen if they get lesser working hours or lower hourly rates—or even worse, lose their jobs altogether. We are already starting to see families dependent on foreign remittances suffering tremendously and yet we are still doing very little to curb the economic threats.

Population Explosion

There are now over 89 million Filipinos. According to the latest census conducted by the National Statistics Office in 2007, our population was 88.57 million. The figure shows a remarkable 15 percent increase from the 2000 record which was 76.50 million.

The stark reality is that while our population is continuing to balloon, the deplorable economic status of many Filipinos has not changed. But we are still not recognizing the value of reproductive health education. What’s worse is that many are still making an outrageous accusation that it will only encourage people to have sexual intercourse which couldn’t be farther from the true goals of this type of health education.

Political Crisis

We are confronting a crisis in political affairs. The past several years have been declared by many as a shady political era characterized by the apparent tolerance of illegal and immoral acts and the lack of transparency and accountability. The “Fertilizer Scam”, the NBN-ZTE deal, and the “Hello Garci” controversy were just some of the many examples of governance that is suspect. In November of 2009, a massacre in Maguindanao was committed. Almost 60 people, including more than 20 journalists, were brutally killed by gunmen who reportedly were under the command of an extremely powerful local official.

Now, we realize that while the term of the current administration may be ending, an even more austere political period could be just beginning. And yet, we are still acting blind, deaf, and mute to politically-driven transgressions committed to our society.

Opportunities for Something Better

The staggering challenges that face us are daunting. However, we cannot let this deter us from acting. It is imperative that we do something to change our current trajectory—one that is truly headed towards unspeakable horrors.

It is important for us to realize that while these times are a period of immense difficulties, these times are also a period of vast opportunities—to make positive changes that hopefully will create a brighter future.