Miss Earth urges government to lead fight to save planet

KARLA PAULA HENRY of the Philippines, 2008 Miss Earth, suggested that the government take the lead in helping preserve the environment before it is too late.

And, the first Filipina to wear the Miss Earth crown said in a speech before a meeting of the Rotary Club of Makati-North on Wednesday, Earth Day, the country’s leaders cannot possibly succeed without Filipinos themselves pitching in.

“To save the Earth is the No. 1 thing we have to do,” Henry told The Manila Times during an interview at the sidelines of the Rotary meeting.

Politicians who basically make up the government, she noted, could still catch the bus out to meet head-on global warming and other climate changes.

They could use as a jumping board for that purpose the 2010 elections, where, Henry said,

she expects to see possible candidates raising the environment as part of their platform of government.

According to the beauty queen, she has “not heard of a politician who considers the conservation of the environment as an important issue” as he or she probably would those on economic and social reforms.

In the 2010 elections, Henry said she hopes to also see “a presidential candidate who would balance out the environmental and economic concerns of the people.” These elections would pick President Gloria Arroyo’s successor.

She pointed to climate change as one of the top challenges for the Filipinos whom she said are apparently made to believe that global warming, for one, is just a buzz word among environmentalists.

Authorities “say the Filipinos are not experiencing it (global warming) but we are. We are losing some of our islands because of climate change,” the 22-year-old Filipino-Canadian said.

Henry warned that it is “too late” to stop global warming but that people around the world still can delay it.

Unfortunately, though, she feared that its worst impacts on Planet Earth “will eventually happen.” Apparently showing that she is walking the talk, the 2008 Miss Earth from Cebu in central Philippines, said that she herself tries to help save the environment by minimizing the use of plastic materials, conserving energy and going for “green” technology.

The government and the politicians failing to do their part in the battle to protect the environment, Henry said, would also see the country’s resources running out to the point that the people would have to buy the air if they wanted to breathe and the water if they wanted to drink.

They are considered partners by Miss Earth Foundation that organizers of the Miss Earth beauty pageant had put up to help promote environmental awareness through formal and non-formal education around the world.

Henry also cited the involvement of local-government units in the foundation’s projects in a number of provinces in the country.

That cooperation, she said, shows that “beauty queens do go out, talk to people and share the message that the environment cannot anymore be ignored.”

Henry may have found an ally in the Manila city government that on Earth Day vowed to support environmental conservation and protection efforts.

“As we celebrate the 39th Earth Day, Manila joins the world in recognizing this special day to look at not only our country but our planet and see what needs improving or changing,” Mayor Alfredo Lim said.

Lim, along with Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and Petron Corp. president Eric Recto, planted a mahogany sapling to symbolize his support for environmental conservation at the Pandacan Linear Park.

“We must safeguard and protect our environment, establish, sustain and conserve our natural resources to benefit not only ourselves and our families but the whole world. We will not only preserve our planet but also all the people and creatures living in it,” the mayor said.

He stressed the significance of planting trees and maintaining parks in the city as part of promoting consciousness on the importance of protecting nature and conserving the environment.

The mayor gave full support to the Earth Day program organized by the Ministry on Ecology of the Archdiocese of Manila under Cardinal Rosales at the Sto. Niño de Pandacan parish church in Pandacan.

“We are focusing on community action and renewal, and this is a great opportunity to show that we can do anything by voluntarily taking direct action on in our own communities,” Lim said.

The Sagip Pasig River Movement marked Earth Day with a fluvial parade at Escolta Ferry Terminal also in Manila.

Ben Galindo, the chairman of the movement, said that many laws on protecting the environment, including Pasig and other rivers, have been enacted but many are not followed or not implemented.

Among the supposedly useless laws are the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act and the Pollution Control Law.

Miss Earth urges government to lead fight to save planet

KARLA PAULA HENRY of the Philippines, 2008 Miss Earth, suggested that the government take the lead in helping preserve the environment before it is too late.

And, the first Filipina to wear the Miss Earth crown said in a speech before a meeting of the Rotary Club of Makati-North on Wednesday, Earth Day, the country’s leaders cannot possibly succeed without Filipinos themselves pitching in.

“To save the Earth is the No. 1 thing we have to do,” Henry told The Manila Times during an interview at the sidelines of the Rotary meeting.

Politicians who basically make up the government, she noted, could still catch the bus out to meet head-on global warming and other climate changes.

They could use as a jumping board for that purpose the 2010 elections, where, Henry said,

she expects to see possible candidates raising the environment as part of their platform of government.

According to the beauty queen, she has “not heard of a politician who considers the conservation of the environment as an important issue” as he or she probably would those on economic and social reforms.

In the 2010 elections, Henry said she hopes to also see “a presidential candidate who would balance out the environmental and economic concerns of the people.” These elections would pick President Gloria Arroyo’s successor.

She pointed to climate change as one of the top challenges for the Filipinos whom she said are apparently made to believe that global warming, for one, is just a buzz word among environmentalists.

Authorities “say the Filipinos are not experiencing it (global warming) but we are. We are losing some of our islands because of climate change,” the 22-year-old Filipino-Canadian said.

Henry warned that it is “too late” to stop global warming but that people around the world still can delay it.

Unfortunately, though, she feared that its worst impacts on Planet Earth “will eventually happen.” Apparently showing that she is walking the talk, the 2008 Miss Earth from Cebu in central Philippines, said that she herself tries to help save the environment by minimizing the use of plastic materials, conserving energy and going for “green” technology.

The government and the politicians failing to do their part in the battle to protect the environment, Henry said, would also see the country’s resources running out to the point that the people would have to buy the air if they wanted to breathe and the water if they wanted to drink.

They are considered partners by Miss Earth Foundation that organizers of the Miss Earth beauty pageant had put up to help promote environmental awareness through formal and non-formal education around the world.

Henry also cited the involvement of local-government units in the foundation’s projects in a number of provinces in the country.

That cooperation, she said, shows that “beauty queens do go out, talk to people and share the message that the environment cannot anymore be ignored.”

Henry may have found an ally in the Manila city government that on Earth Day vowed to support environmental conservation and protection efforts.

“As we celebrate the 39th Earth Day, Manila joins the world in recognizing this special day to look at not only our country but our planet and see what needs improving or changing,” Mayor Alfredo Lim said.

Lim, along with Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and Petron Corp. president Eric Recto, planted a mahogany sapling to symbolize his support for environmental conservation at the Pandacan Linear Park.

“We must safeguard and protect our environment, establish, sustain and conserve our natural resources to benefit not only ourselves and our families but the whole world. We will not only preserve our planet but also all the people and creatures living in it,” the mayor said.

He stressed the significance of planting trees and maintaining parks in the city as part of promoting consciousness on the importance of protecting nature and conserving the environment.

The mayor gave full support to the Earth Day program organized by the Ministry on Ecology of the Archdiocese of Manila under Cardinal Rosales at the Sto. Niño de Pandacan parish church in Pandacan.

“We are focusing on community action and renewal, and this is a great opportunity to show that we can do anything by voluntarily taking direct action on in our own communities,” Lim said.

The Sagip Pasig River Movement marked Earth Day with a fluvial parade at Escolta Ferry Terminal also in Manila.

Ben Galindo, the chairman of the movement, said that many laws on protecting the environment, including Pasig and other rivers, have been enacted but many are not followed or not implemented.

Among the supposedly useless laws are the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act and the Pollution Control Law.

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