—Ban Ki-moon
By Alex P. Vidal
WE are amazed that no politician, or someone with insatiable desire for epal (attention whore or scene stealer), had showed up acting like a hypocrite when Asurion BPO, in coordination with the Iloilo City Government, recently launched the Urban Tree Planting and Tree Nursery in the Circumferential Road along Green Meadows area bike lane in Iloilo City.
For the douchebags, tree planting, medical mission, distribution of construction materials, canned goods, rice, and other food items for calamity victims, among other media-frenzy events, are perfect opportunities to showboat and make epal.
Especially during the political season. They also love to grab credit by just being present or intentionally showing up during the occasion and during the photo sessions.
We are glad Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas, whose administration fully supported the laudable private initiative, did not use the event to grandstand and pretend this praiseworthy activity was the brainchild of his administration.
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Even if city hall had a herculean task in making the Asurion BPO project possible, Treñas, who has been passionate in his crusade for environment as manifested by his presence in several international gabs on climate change, would never brag about it.
Before Asurion BPO launched the project, Treñas has been advocating for the Ilonggos to plant trees and fight the climate change.
The Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported two months ago that Treñas had vowed to connect the local government with various sectors for the tree-growing efforts.
“Climate change is intense,” the PNA quoted Treñas as saying. “Before, we only talked about it, but now it has worsened. We have to do something about it.”
The PNA report added that there were 10,000 species of native trees at the city nursery, while the city government will procure more “Dita” trees to replace the royal palm trees at the center isle of the Diversion Road.
Also, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was reportedly scheduled to provide the city government with 3,000 seedlings; 1,000 of which are “Freedom” tree species.
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The same report had quoted General Services Office (GSO) head engineer Neil Ravena as saying, “We are now preparing at the Diversion Road. We are now removing the dead royal palms. We are just waiting for the weather conditions to normalize because our rainfall is way below normal. This is not just a tree planting but a tree growing to cool down the Diversion Road, which has the highest heat index.”
All relocation sites would be planted with fruit-bearing trees and native trees in private subdivisions, PNA further quoted Ravena. Target areas were reportedly the floodway, roadsides, Esplanade, and beach forest on Barangay Boulevard.
The planing of trees in Iloilo City had been conceptualized even before super typhoon Carina (Gaemi international name) wrecked the Philippines over the week killing scores of people all over the country and flooding the major thoroughfares in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
The powerful typhoon had made landfall in northeastern Taiwan, leaving major flooding and damage in its wake. Conditions in Taiwan worsened as Typhoon Gaemi brought heavy rainfall, gusty winds and a dangerous storm surge.
The CNN reported that it reached land in Yilan County with sustained winds up to 125 mph, equal to a Category 3 hurricane in the Atlantic. Continuous heavy rains and rising flood waters across the Philippines have also killed at least 13 people and displaced more than 600,000, local officials said. The typhoon was expected to make landfall in mainland China's Fujian province today, bringing more strong winds and downpours to a country already hit hard by weeks of extreme rain.
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MANILA SUMMIT, AID. US Department of State Spokesperson Matthew Miller has confirmed that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has spoking with Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique A. Manalo July 25 to discuss the upcoming 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro in Manila.
Blinken and Manalo reiterated the importance of the United States-Philippines Alliance and spoke about shared priorities both in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world, according to Miller in a statement.
Blinken further shared condolences for those in the Philippines who have died or been displaced as a result of Typhoon Gaemi and recent monsoon-related flooding. The Secretary noted that the United States stands ready to provide assistance.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspaper in Iloilo.—Ed)
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