Five years ago when I relocated to Manila, I couldn't fathom how ordinary citizens in the power center capital city would almost absent-mindedly or with nary an iota of guilt, throw trash in the sidewalks, streets or generally outdoors.
In Malate where I would spend most evenings, I would see party-goers in their best outfits throw cigarette butts, candy wrappers, fastfood wrappings everywhere. I would chide my friends whom I would catch doing so and they would look at me as if I were some obsessive-compulsive neat freak. I would tell them "well, you have no right to complain when it floods then".
They would laugh at me as if I were some holier-than-thou-recycler-reducer-reuser. Well, I guess they're not laughing now.
Imagine if everyone in Manila would dispose of their trash properly. Imagine if everyone would reduce their trash. Reuse their plastics. Reduce their daily trash.
Imagine if rivers, waterways, canals, drainage systems were cleared of trash. The heavy rainfall of Typhoon Ondoy would have subsided faster. Not to mention it wouldn't have reached such high levels.
It's elementary science, Watson. Clog a drain. The water rises and slowly, very slowly goes down, if it goes down at all.
Think long-term my dear brothers in Manila. No, let's all think long-term. Next elections, let's vote for people (National & Local Elections) who would put this country at the top of their priorities and not enrich themselves with government funds.
This country is in the proverbial flood of poverty because of the citizens' complacency and lack of foresight.
I rest my case.
Correct there. But how do you toilet-train a population of 15 million that was raised thinking that the world is a garbage dump that someone else will eventually clean? In fact, since Manila is the biggest melting pot attracting everyone from the everywhere, how do you toilet-train the entire country's population of 90 million?
ReplyDeleteTinitimbang sila, ngunit parang wala pang husto ang sukat, kulang na kulang pa din.
ReplyDeleteI hope some of them prove themselves 85% worthy.
Amen, brother. It was really just a matter of time.
ReplyDeleteToilet train?! Ondoy should teach them that valuable lesson! Then if those affected by the recent floods continue their ill-waste-management-practices, then next time, they really deserve it!
ReplyDeleteIn the meantime, we can all minimize our trash. Dine-in instead of take-out, if you simply must eat fastfood. I don't. Think of all that styro! Yikes!
ReplyDeleteBut if we minimise the use of plastic bags, how can shoppers show off the brand label of their purchase?
ReplyDelete@thenashman: who wants to show off SM Supermarket? At least Prada uses paper bags now.
ReplyDelete