The moment I read this question, my mind was just blank, I just stared,
thinking I can respond as fast as the falling star, but seconds, minutes and
hours had passed but still I couldn’t think of an answer. What gift will it be?
Is it because I was preoccupied with many what ifs? Or there are a lot of
options and I’m thinking of the major concerns the Philippines needed?
In giving gifts, if you really
love someone, you will not just give something, but you will give something
that can be treasured. Then questions crossed my mind, does the Philippines
need it? Is it possible? Can I afford it? Finally after fifteen days of
contemplating, I have my answer. Aside from service, I have great idea, to give
proper waste disposal. To solve this problem, I’m thinking of a digital trash
bin designed like a basketball. Since Filipinos love games especially basketball
it will serve not just a simple trash bin, but it will educate and teach our
countrymen, how to have proper waste disposal. There is a biodegradable and non
biodegradable section. If you shoot it to the right bin you get three points
but if you shoot it to the wrong bin you get a sad face. There is penalty,
since it has emergency signal. People
can hear the siren, so the guard on duty on that area where it’s placed can
hear it. It can be placed on any
establishment, a barangay for example.
You will not be able to run since there will be CCTV footage
attached on that digital trash bin. The penalty is, you will segregate waste
from biodegradable to non biodegradable the whole day on that area. If not you will pay charges, since anti-littering is
already a law. In that case even
children will learn how to throw the garbage correctly, because no one is above
the law. Since it is a big project it can give jobs to our fellowmen by
employing them as production staff in creating the digital basketball trash
bin. I think this is the best gift I can give to the Philippines.
Last year, as I joined the world of outbound educators and I was able to
travel, I saw the real beauty and weaknesses of the Philippine islands. I
observed tourist, even local tourist was awestruck with that beauty and even
climbed the tallest mountain and swam the deepest sea only to explore and appreciate
that beauty but sad to say, they leave trash, just like that. They throw candy wrappers. You can say that it is just a small plastic
but if all of you dump it to mountains, to the sea, rivers and on your way to
your destination what will happen? Instead of beautiful mountain five years
from now it will become mountain of garbage and a sea of garbage. If you love
our country and our environment we will take care of it and preserve it. In those places there are no janitors who will
clean the waste that you made, because it is an isolated place. Even if there
is someone who will clean it, wouldn't you feel guilty? You don’t know how to
clean, but you are dumping waste everywhere?
Once,
I had the chance to join the clean up drive, for the river at Bataan. We gather
sacks of garbage, even though it is just a very little portion of garbage
around the area. According to locals, that trash came from as far as Manila Bay
and every flood came in, it brought them tidal waves of garbage.
Like the principle of ecology “Everything is connected to everything
else. Everything must go somewhere. Nature knows best. Ours is a finite planet.
All forms of life are important.” Let it not remained as ecology’s principle
but make it our own principle. Let us aspire to have a clean environment and it
will start within us. Like a basketball team let us work as a team. Together we
can make it.
Now it's your turn if there is one thing you can give to the Philippines what is that gift?
