Smoggy morning/Our World Tuesday

Lourdes School from my window

A friend from out-of-town was supposed to fly to Manila for a short vacation but a problem at work didn't allow her to leave as planned.   She called and asked me to use her hotel booking as the 3-night stay was already paid for.   Since I've been working at home, a change of scenery sounds great---so I packed my bag and lap top and drove about 15 kilometers to Astoria Plaza.  Astoria Plaza is a 5-minute walk from my old office building.  Two friends and former colleagues joined me for breakfast every morning to enjoy the breakfast buffet.

Took these photos from the window of the suite--yes, it was a suite!  How lucky can a girl get? There's the tower where I worked for 12 years---the Philippine Stock Exchange Center. 

I was enjoying my quiet time but the smile faded when I saw the smog-covered skyline. These photos were taken a little before 9 a.m.  Looking towards the west at EDSA and beyond, a thick layer of smog blanketed the city.  This is the quality of air we breath everyday.  

According to the United Nations, Metro Manila is one of the five most polluted cities in the world, with an estimated 4% of the vast metropolis's disease-related deaths linked to air pollution.

smog-covered morning

For decades, there have been measures in bringing down air pollution levels to acceptable standards---there's the Clean Air Act of 1999, but pollution seems to get worse every year.  The government has been  seeking public support to turn Metro Manila into a healthy metropolis.  Taking public transport or car-pooling is encouraged, walking or using bikes, use of energy-efficient products, and conserving electricity are few tips to curb individual air emissions.  MMDA opened bike lanes around the metro and even lends bikes to commuters.

I hope we'd see more electric-powered jeepneys on the roads instead of the usual diesel-fueled jeepneys.  Clean air should be an individual concern if we're looking at a better quality of life.

Feel it...Breath it...Believe it...and you'll be walking on air.

Linking to Our World Tuesday

Laguna de Bay/Our World Tuesday

This was the first time that I was able to take an aerial photo of Laguna de Bay---well, at least a part of Laguna de Bay.  The heavily populated area on the lower left of the photo is part of Taguig City.  The superhighway at the edge of the lake is part of C6, a beltway that will connect the southern provinces to the northern provinces of Luzon without passing Metro Manila.

Laguna de Bay is the largest inland body of freshwater in the Philippines with a total area of 95,000 hectares,  with an average depth of 2.8 meters and maximum depth of 20 meters.  It has a 238-kilometer shoreline that covers 49 municipalities and 12 cities in 3 provinces. 21 tributaries drain into Laguna de Bay and the only outlet of the lake is the Napindan Channel  that merges with Marikina River and formed the Pasig River, which meanders along a 24-kilometer course and eventually discharging into Manila Bay.

The lake supports millions of people living in its watershed.  People depend on it for food, transportation, irrigation, among others.  Fishery  and aquaculture are major industries in lakeshore communities, and the lake is the primary source of freshwater fish in the country. Laguna de Bay also serves as a reservoir for flood waters to minimize flooding in Metro Manila during rainy season and one of the sources of water supply.  The lake is home to a variety of organisms, 31 species of fish, 269 species of plants and habitat for various species of birds.  About 48% of flowering plants and ferns endemic to the Philippines are found by the lake.

Because of the lake's importance in the development of towns and cities surrounding it, the water quality and general condition of Laguna de Bay are closely monitored.  But environmental issues brought about by rapid population growth, land conversion, industrialization and over-fishing are slowly killing the lake. A retired University of the Philippines professor was quoted years ago that the coliform level in the lake is too high "our microbiologists couldn't count it anymore."  

Linking to

Our World Tuesday

 Watery World Wednesday

Coron Island: Mangroves

I have posted about mangrove forests before.  I find mangrove trees beautiful, the roots sculptural.  The Philippines has around 47 "true mangrove" out of 54 species around the world.  Mangroves are salt-tolerant trees that have adapted to living in salt and brackish water conditions. Mangroves are extraordinary rich habitats that serve as life support system to fish, shrimps and other marine life, birds, reptiles, and some species of mammals (monkeys, rats, etc.).  They also protect the coastline from onslaught of storms and wave surges. 

Coron Island has a healthy mangrove forests---it's one of the remaining old growth forests in the country.  The province of Palawan where Coron Island is located has the longest coastline with the largest remaining stand of mangrove forest (40,000 hectares approximately).  Source

The most dominant mangrove trees here are the Rhizophora species locally known as "Bacauan".  

Get virtually wet at Watery Wednesday

Tropical depression

@ mirandablue

My world is inundated by typhoons and monsoon rains---three typhoons this past week alone.  We were hit by six typhoons in July, the most recent, "Lando", is the 12th tropical depression this year.  Flash floods, landslides, missing fishermen were in the news as well as images of evacuees, flooded streets, damaged crops, bridges and homes.  An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year but it seems that we are always caught unprepared.

@ mirandablue

Some observers say our weather forecasting has improved, alert systems are in place.  But I believe preventive measures remain a challenge.  Communities in high-risk areas continue to mushroom despite warnings from risk managers.  The bahala na (come what may) attitude of Filipinos somehow contributes to non-preparation for any disastrous event.  

There is a Japanese expression "shikata ga nai" which is roughly translated to "it couldn't be helped".  It may be the Filipino equivalent of "bahala na"---the difference is, the Japanese takes every possible precaution to confront the wrath of fate.  While we say "bahala na" and we totally surrender to God and the whims of destiny.  

@ mirandablue

The annual cost of loss of lives, property and crops is not cheap, the human suffering immeasurable.  We learn our lessons after every disaster, we become more resilient with every passing calamity.  But we need to do more---be more proactive rather than reactive.  Push our leaders to take definite actions, seriously implement zoning, upgrade the agencies in disaster risk management.

This is My World-Tuesday and Watery Wednesday

Fallen/Tumba

@ mirandablue

Mga natumbang puno ng niyog sa dalampasigan ng Punta Bulata.

Join us at Litratong Pinoy

Fallen coconut trees along the shores of Punta Bulata.

@ mirandablue

For Thursday 2 Questions - you are invited to answer and join:

1.  What are the green initiatives you do at home?

We recycle--water from the washing machine and plastics, reuse glass bottles, aluminum foil, plastic cutlery;  consolidate daily errands to avoid unnecessary driving, switched to paperless bills, save electricity by air-drying clothes, limited use of AC, turn off unneeded lights; we are also trying to reduce food waste.

2.  What are some of the most damaging things we do to the environment?

Irresponsible disposal of garbage, illegal logging, wasting water and energy, over-fishing, dumping of motor oil, paints, pesticides and other toxic chemicals down the drain, air pollution, indifference.

Flow river flow

@ mirandablue

Sit by the river.  Find peace and meaning in the rhythm of the lifeblood of the Earth.


Flow river flow, past the shady trees

Go river go, go to the sea...

@ mirandablue

Manapla, Negros Occidental

Linked to Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday

Red Lionfish [Watery Wednesday]

@ mirandablue

A family of red lionfish (Pterois volitans) gliding gracefully at the Georgia Aquarium.  They are beautifully banded and fascinating to watch.  But these attractive creatures are venomous, and although their stings are not deadly, the venom inflicts extreme pain.  Lionfish is a nocturnal coral reef fish native to the Indo-Pacific oceanic region.  They have 13 poisonous dorsal spines that are used purely for defense, and 14 long, feather-like pectoral rays.  They feed mostly on crustaceans and small fishes, which include juveniles of their own species.  While courting, males are particularly aggressive to intruders but are not usually aggressive towards humans.

@ mirandablue

Lionfish is not currently listed as threatened or endangered.  However, the increase in pollution in coral reefs is expected to kill many of the fish and crustaceans, which lionfish depend on.  (Source:  Animal Diversity Web)

@ mirandablue

Posted for Watery Wednesday

Solitude [Watery & Outdoor Wednesday]

@ mirandablue

A solitary fisherman near the mangrove forests of Bohol.

Man cannot discover

new oceans

until he has courage

to lose sight

of the shore.

Posted for Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday

Bangui windmills [SWF]

My first reaction when I saw these windmills was:  Whoa, these were built by aliens!  Then I kept thinking about Transformers (the movie). :p 

Bangui windmills, the first power-generating windmill farm in the Philippines---a must-see when you're in Ilocos Norte.  These gigantic wind turbines along the shores of Bangui Bay, Ilocos Norte, face the South China Sea and are considered the biggest in Southeast Asia.  The turbines hub height is 70 meters, each blade is 41 meters long, and the base of a turbine is 6 meters in diameter.


"...As yet, the wind is an untamed,an unharnessed force; and quite possibly one of the greatest discoveries hereafter to be made, will be the taming, and harnessing of it."


                   - Abraham Lincoln, 1860

Bangui is 553 kilometers north of Manila, and 66 kilometers from Laoag City, the provincial capital.

This post is linked to Sky-Watch, Friday

Hilutungan Island [My World - Tuesday]

Hilutungan Island is one of the seven satellite islets that forms the Olango group of islands off the coast of Mactan, Cebu.  Hilutungan, like the other islets in Olango, is a low-lying  coral island with with an elevation of no more than 10 meters above sea level.  This island is a marine sanctuary and a favorite destination of snorkelers and divers because of the variety of small and large reef fishes found here, as well as barracudas, manta rays, seahorses, sea urchins and star fishes.  Hilutungan has a small community, a church and an elementary school.  There is stretch of white sandy beach, a sand bar and a nice resort if you'd like to stay for the weekend.

These guys are not pirates, they're called Bantay Dagat (Sea Patrol)---a group of civilian volunteers who keep a 24-hour watch on Philippine coastal waters up to 15 kilometers from the shore.  Bantay Dagat forces have trainings on conservation,  protection, management and development of fisheries and aquatic resources; they also curb destructive fishing practices and illegal fishing in municipal waters.  Bantay Dagat also collects fees from tourists (100 pesos per person)--part of the money collected is  being used to protect the marine sanctuary.

 

To reach Hilutungan Island, you can rent an outrigger at the Hilton Pier in Mactan, or take the regular ferry at Angasil pier to Olango Island.  From Sta. Rosa pier in Olongo, there are outrigger boats that ferry passengers to and from Hilutungan, but I'm not sure if  the schedule is reliable.  There are also organized transfers when you're booked at dive resorts.

Posted for My World-Tuesday

Bamboo foot bridge [Sunday Bridges]

Bamboo foot bridges connecting rock islets in Camotes Island.  Camotes  is a group of 4 low-lying islands near Cebu in the Philippines.

Posted for Sunday Bridges

Caramoan: Bikal Port [Watery & Outdoor Wednesday]

From Guijalo port, we took a tricycle (a motorcycle mounted with a sidecar) to Bikal port to meet our boatman.  The ride took us across Caramoan town---we passed by the municipal hall, the market and center of town that locals call Centro.   Bikal port is the starting point going to the islets of the Caramoan peninsula.  Bancas (outrigger boats)  docked by the pier  waiting for passengers, and mangrove forest thrives at the port's surrounding areas.  I would have wanted to take more photos but it was getting dark as we hurried to board our banca for Tabgon.

Posted for Watery Wednesday and Outdoor Wednesday

LP: Pagbabago [change]

at the shores of Cagbalete Island

Napapansin mo ba ang mga pagbabago sa iyong kapaligiran? Ang mga lugar na dating di binabaha, ngayon lumulubog na sa tubig kahit sa konting ulan lang. Ang dating malalapad na baybayin, kapiraso na lang ang natitira dahil sa soil erosion bunga ng mabilis na pagtaas ng dagat at maling pamamahala at abuso ng ating coastal resources. Katulad ng mga punong ito sa dalampasigan ng Cagbalete Island---kinain na ng dagat ang pampang at ang mga ugat ay halos wala ng makapitan. Baka balang araw pati tayo ay wala na rin makakapitan kapag patuloy na tumaas ang tubig ng mga karagatan dala ng climate change. Di ko alam kung kakayanin ng powers natin ang susunod na great flood.

Did you notice the changes in your environment? The places that never experienced flooding in the past are now under water after a moderate downpour. The wide shores of our childhood are almost gone due to soil erosion brought about by rapid rise of sea level and mismanagement and abuse of coastal resources. Like these trees at the shores of Cagbalete Island, the roots could barely hold on to the soil---and a few years from now, these trees would be gone, too. If the sea levels continue to rise, and we don't do the right thing to save this planet, then we would be like these trees, holding on but slowly losing our grip. I don't know if we'd survive the next great flood.

Sana ang batang ito ay hindi magiging illegal logger paglaki n'ya kundi magiging earth warrior. Sa bawat pang-aabuso natin sa ating kapaligiran, tandaan natin na hindi natin minana ang planetang ito sa ating mga ninuno kundihiniram lang n atin sa ating mga anak.

Hopefully this boy would grow up to be an earth warrior rather than becoming an illegal logger. Each time we abuse our environment, be reminded that "we do not inherit this planet from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children".

in the forest of Caramoan

Posted for Litratong Pinoy