The most dangerous creature on earth: Man
By Atty. Esther Gertrude D. Biliran
It was all systems go for the much-awaited environmental forum sponsored by the Tagbilaran Baywatch on November 29, 2023, at the University of Bohol (UB) gymnasium when heavy rain poured, lightning struck, and flashflood madly rushed into the gym, causing us all to scamper to higher ground for safety.
The forum, the first of its kind in the province, was held in the wake of the already ongoing but recently discovered P12-Billion reclamation project of the city government and the Tagbilaran Waterfront Development Corporation (TWDC) under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project of the government, spanning 153 hectares of the Tagbilaran Bay.
But not even the wrath of the vengeful “nature fighting back” dampened the spirits of the Tagbilaran Baywatchers, attendees, and speakers Dr. Filipina Sotto, marine biologist, formerly of the University of San Carlos, Cebu City; Dr. Aileen O. Maypa, Professor of Institute of Marine Science of Silliman University, Dumaguete City; and Atty. Grizelda Mayo-Anda, Director of the Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC), Palawan, who were all set to speak on the theme, “Preserving our Environment Heritage for Sustainable Coastal Development.”
There was no heckling or shouting or panicking. Instead, as we all patiently waited for the flood to subside and the cleaning to be done, we silently reflected on the implication of the rising water right at the very exact moment when we were about to start our anti-Tagbilaran Bay reclamation forum. We could hardly believe it was happening.
“Wa pa gani mag reclaim, mibaha na?” a friend texted.
No less than Dr. Victoriano B. Tirol III, President of UB, one of the convenors of Tagbilaran Baywatch, said in his Welcome Message, both in jest and in all seriousness, that Bishop Abet Uy (Diocese of Tagbilaran), also one of the convenors, was “lakas kaayo sa Ginoo.” I heard Bishop Abet, who was seated beside me ask, “Why?” Sir Ryan then explained, “God really loves Bishop Abet because God immediately gave him an ‘Exhibit A’—the flash flood, which is one of the consequences of reclamation.”
Bishop Abet started his inspirational message by asking the attendees to say to each other, “Salamat sa Diyos kay gibaha ta.”
“They say experience is the best teacher. Today, it is like nature is telling us that the natural environment is not in good shape. You need to do your part as stewards of God’s creation. Wa tay laing planeta nga kabalhinan. Ampingan nato kining atong gipuy-an. There is no planet B. We must take care of the one we have,” reminded our church leader.
Bishop Abet expressed his excitement of the forum, aware of the shared passion the convenors held for the protection and enhancement of the environment.
“How can we, individually, and collectively contribute to the healing and restoration of our environment? This forum is, indeed, important, because it aims to yield a wealth of invaluable insights that will surely help us understand our roles in the conservation and preservation of our delicate environment,” challenged the bishop.
Explaining the opposing concepts of “ownership” and “stewardship” in relation to nature, the bishop said that the Bible clearly teaches us that we are not owners of creation. Rather, “the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it (Psalm 24:1).”
He gently reminded and asked us to repeat the reminder that “we are only stewards, not owners” and that “it is our sublime duty to safeguard and preserve the world in which we live,” he cited Genesis 2:15 which states, “We are stewards of the earth summoned by God to cultivate it and to take good care of it.”
While many would rather be called “owners,” not “stewards,” Bishop Abet stressed the difference between “stewards” and “owners.” “Those who know that they are only stewards have the tendency to use everything wisely and responsibly. But those who claim they are owners have the tendency to use and abuse.”
Deploring those who act as “owners” rather than “stewards” of our environment, the bishop pointed out the problem, “Naguba ang atong kalibutan tungod kay daghan ang nagpahimulos nga murag silay tag-iya sa kalikupan.”
He also stressed the urgency of caring for our environment and connected the destruction of the environment to man. “As we look upon the world around us, we cannot ignore the signs of distress. Our earth is beset by environmental degradation, climate change, and the loss of diversity.
“Unsa ang dakong hinungdan niini? Kitang mga tawo.”
Bishop Abet shared about a picture of a monkey in social media holding a poster with a picture aptly captioned, “Beware of the most dangerous creature on earth.” The picture is that of man.
“It is really shameful. We, who are supposedly the center of God’s creation has now become the most dangerous creature in this planet,” he lamented.
He likewise echoed Chapter 3 of the Encyclical Letter of Pope Francis entitled, “Laudato Si” (Praise be to you) released in May 2015 where Pope Francis explained, “The climate change, the shifts in temperature and weather patterns are mainly caused by human activities.”
“Ang atong pagpahimulos ug pag-abuso. Ang atong pagpasagad ug walay pagtagad sa problema, maoy hinungdan sa pagkadaut sa atong kalikupan. Mga igsoon, ang atong kalibutan, nasunog na pero wa ta matarantar. Our common home, the earth, is burning but we are not panicking. And that is the saddest thing that is happening to us.”
Bishop Abet ended with this call to action, “The time for action is now, and the call to protect our planet has never been more urgent today. As your Bishop, I would like to appeal to every good heart who is here, please do something. Remember this always. There is no planet B. We have to take care of the one we have.” (To be continued)
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The writer hosts Woman Talk with Belinda Sales at 91.1 Balita FM Tagbilaran City every Saturday, 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. She can be reached at belindabelsales@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
