| Location: Puerto Princessa , Palawan , Philippines |
The concern for the forest began when people started to notice there was very little water flowing through their faucets in the hot months of summer. “It was not like this before!” they said.
They discovered that something was terribly wrong.
The forest of Irawan where the city water is coming from was being destroyed.
The trees were being felled for lumber and for firewood.
The kaingeros or slash-and-burn farmers were cutting and burning trees so that they could plant rice and corn. The birds and animals were being caught and sold in the market.
Nagsimula ang lahat noong mapansin ng mga tao na kakaunti na ang tubig na dumadaloy sa gripo tuwing dumarating ang tag-araw. “Hindi naman ganito noon,” sabi nila. Alam nilang
masama ang nangyayari. At nadiskubre nila kung bakit. Ang kagubatan ng Irawan na pinanggagalingan ng tubig ng lunsod ay mabilis na nasisira.
Pinuputol ng mga tao ang mga puno para gamitin sa pagpapabahay at para panggatong. Ang iba naman ay pinuputol at sinusunog ng mga kaingero para magkaroon sila ng pagtatamnan ng palay at mais. Pinaghuhuli nila at itinitinda sa palengke ang mga ibon at mga hayop sa kagubatan.
Copyrighted Jane Timbancaya-Urbanek |
|
|
