THE word concern is commonly heard but hardly felt nowadays. We do not need to look for hard evidence but to simply look around. How do we show concern for our environment? Our family and the next generation? These are just some of the areas that we need to assess and put more concern on.
Concern for the environment
Just recently, Okada Manila cancelled its plan to hold a record-breaking Balloon Dropping event after being prohibited by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Secretary Cimatu eyed the “immense waste the event will produce” if it pushed through.
In connection with this, did you know that the late Senator Miriam Santiago proposed Senate Bill No. 2334 Prohibiting the Release of Helium-filled, Latex or Mylar Balloons as Method of Celebrations way back May 28, 2008?
In the explanatory note of the said Bill, it was mentioned by Senator Santiago that 36 percent of the species of seabirds are known to mistakenly ingest plastics. Can you imagine the rate today with all the plastics occupying the bodies of water around us? How can we then show concern for the environment? How about finally resolving not to use plastic straws, spoons, fork, bags, and even water bottles? Small contribution as it may be, it can still have a butterfly effect.
Concern for the family and the next generations
With the advent of technology and social media, many of the children and the adults today spend more time with their gadgets, drowning themselves on games, social media and messaging applications.
Last year, We Are Social, a London, United Kingdom-based consultancy published its 2018 Digital Report showing that among the nationalities in the world, the Filipinos spend their time on social media the most – an average of three (3) hours and 57 minutes. In addition, Filipinos spent an average of nine (9) hours and 29 minutes on the internet through any devices (GMA News, Bondoc). With these data at hand, we can infer its possible ill-effects within the family and the next generations.
Imagine gatherings where people no longer interact in the physical but are “multi-tasking” with their social media and the different application their gadgets has to offer. What can we do to prevent any of its ill-effects in the future? In September 2018, France banned the use of smartphones and other gadgets in their schools for school children between 3-15 years of age (CNN, Rory Smith). This move is to prevent screen addiction and bad mobile phone use among the schoolchildren.
In the Philippines, or even in the City, what interventions can be done to protect the children and the next generations? Protecting the children and the relationships between family members should also be everyone’s concern.
Apathy is the enemy of concern. Let’s do something about what’s happening around us. Show your concern and affect the people around you. In Philippians 2:3-4, we are advised to do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.