Editorial: That misguided sense of entitlement

AFTER the different disasters brought about by typhoons, monsoon rain, and regular downpour, yesterday’s dark sky was dark enough to spook.

All across the social networks, links are uploaded on updates on where typhoon Helen is and where she is predicted to pass.

Disconcerting, however, was a photo uploaded of a deserted concrete road at the Bonifacio Global City with hundreds of paper cups scattered along the kerb.

Apparently, while the national capital has already been battered and whipped by typhoons and rains, and garbage has been lapping up their doorsteps, people still do not understand that reducing disaster risk is not just the work of volunteers and government, but also of every individual.

But then, that’s how it is right now. Everybody has a finger to point, but believes that the little cup and the little trash he disposes improperly will not do damage.

Everybody is saying the same for the little trash and the little cup, a thought that can easily be multiplied by 94-million Filipinos, including the babies whose parents or yayas indiscriminately throw away one used diaper out of the dozen pack for every dozen pack used throughout the years a baby uses such. That is just one, for many babies, each and every disposable diaper is thrown indiscriminately.

Under-five years of population is estimated at 10.7-million, now imagine 10.7-million pieces of used diapers.

The prevailing reasoning is something like: I’ve thrown my garbage properly, I’m surely allowed to throw one piece improperly.

It’s the same with candy wrappers, and mineral water bottles, and plastic bags, and just about every little thing we have to dispose of that we have disposed of improperly.

They will all return to spook us. To destroy the marine life, to clog our drainage, to flood our homes.

Yes, the rains will still be as strong even if we do make sure that each and every garbage is thrown in its proper place. But each heavy rainfall will not bring as much adverse effect and we can all attend to the real issue at hand – the rehabilitation of our environment through proper zoning, urban design, reforestation, and resuscitation of forest covers on watersheds, instead of having to shovel off garbage by the tons.