WILL

After tropical storm Ondoy’s destructive pass over Manila and nearby provinces, it has left nature’s mark of anger to its insensitive parasites. It made sure that everybody learns a lesson before anyone else could even complain.

But nature’s thrilling way for us to feel guilty did not end there. A new and stronger storm categorized on the highest possibility was then considered a super typhoon greater than the others, came. Typhoon Pepeng’s unexpected entry late in the evening of October 2 among the vicinity of Cagayan North was devastating in terms of agriculture and livestock.

The preventive evacuation done in the province was a big success for no casualties were reported. Low lying areas were filled with water for almost until the waist of an ordinary Filipino and this has caused much trouble in communications as well as transportation of goods. Cagayan is known to be the no. 1 source of corn used in feeding hogs, chickens and among others. Due to this typhoon, fields were destroyed and there will no more be earnings for the farmers by this time. But that is not the problem to be talked about now. It is on how do we, people of God treat His masterpiece created out love. Or rather, what are the moves we must do in order to decrease such instances.

PAGASA and other experts say that more and more typhoons shall destroy a multitude of innocent lives not only in the country but also in the whole world. It is said that this scenario is caused by climate change and global warming. When the earth gets hotter, it brings stormier weather and the rise of sea levels because of the melting that is happening in the Arctic regions. It is by this reason that Bangladesh experienced extreme flooding in previous years. To date, the earth’s average temperature increased between 0.30C and 0.80C. And when it increases more, something terrible might happen.

Almost everyone else in the world knew what this is all about, but was there any move done? None. Definitely nothing was ever done. Yes, there was a ban in 1996 on the excessive use of chlorofluorocarbons or CFCs yet it will take at least a hundred of years to take its effect.

Little do ordinary people like us know about the precautionary measures that the government has placed over this matter. They say they put millions of pesos for calamity funds but a few were used. A few felt that millions. But waiting for the people with higher authority is not worth it. Do we still need to experience tsunami, tidal waves and hurricanes before we can decide what to do? To work on it now before it’s too late is the best solution.

We must have the initiative to know what is right and definitely we must go against the opposite one, the wrong. As Paulinians, we are obliged to love God and our neighbor. But thinking of it literally is useless. We must have the will to serve like Jesus our model that came forth into this world “to serve and not to be served”.

This is the best way to bring back anything good from the pass and reminisce them in the near future. But it all depends on us; on how we will act against climate change and global warming. Remember, you must first change your self before you can change the world. ##