But while the over-the-top performance of the cultural theater group Kaliwat of Joey Ayala's Panalangin was a major factor, perhaps the emotion during the opening day of the photo exhibit dubbed as "Hulagway sa Kinaiyahan: Images of Bounty and People's Action" at SM City's Entertainment Plaza was brought to the hilt by the sight of people celebrating the united energy that is to protect the city's beautiful and generous upland resources now being threatened by destruction.
The opening of the photo exhibit turned out to be a grand gathering of environmental fighters from all fronts -- academe, religious, students, artists, non-governmental organizations, government officials and even the very people living at the upland villages of the city that now host huge banana and pineapple plantations.
The gathering became a testament that the call for environmental protection is all the more gaining ground, sinking into the consciousness of the public who are as generous as the Earth -- willing not only to surrender their time but also their presence if only to respond against destruction of the environment and the apathy of those who are gaining from these destructions.
The photographers were there, except for Declan Hearne who is currently in Indonesia but was represented by his wife and baby girl and his mother from Ireland.
Like the images they have captured in the upland villages of the districts of Baguio, Calinan, and Toril, the presence of the Gauss Obenza, Ric Obenza, BJ Pati¤o and Gluce Jayma was another sight to behold.
Environmentalist Councilor Leo Avila said the photo exhibit was timely and an effort so courageous it might crawl into the nerve of those whose interest are tied with the idea that environmental activism will never be good for the environment.
Talking about corporate-social responsibility, Avila said it is time for companies to ponder on the future while doing business today -- perhaps a difficult task for an individual whose idea of giving his/her children a better future is not consciously-anchored on conscience and the cost of externalities or the destruction brought by the money-raking venture.
"We are not against your plantations but what we want you to do is to do it the sustainable way -- you cannot put a plantation in a strip of land which is an aquifer," Avila said.
The photo exhibit, Avila said, clearly debunks the self-serving contention of corporate irresponsibility and greed saying: "This is maybe something that hinders development or a form of unnecessary evil but this is our survival."
Bro. Karl Gaspar, chair of the board of the environmental group Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (Idis), also said that with efforts to bring environmental activism to the public and the small victories over efforts to protect the natural resources, Davao can become a model for movements to save the ecology.
The photo exhibit was organized by Idis and was supported by SM Davao, APM, Kong Ai Vegetarian Centrum, 5th Cafe, Babas Foundation, Inc and Bios Dynamis Health Food Center.
