Trees are good but …

Today  is a great day for Cebu City and Cebu province as we host the prestigious  Ironman 70.3 with about 1,700 participants from different parts of the world. This  sporting event has brought together  well known athletes  to participate in a triathlon that used to be held in Camarines Sur for three straight years. Cebu will host  the Ironman 70.3 for three years as well and have the opportunity to show the world  our hospitality and  tourist spots.  So, welcome and good luck to all participants of the Ironman 70.3 triathlon. And to all Cebuanos, let’s welcome the participants with a smile and our traditional  warmth.

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I am so happy that the Department of Envrionment and Natural Resources (DENR) intervened to stop the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from cutting down or doing a wholesale transfer of 155 trees, including 25 century-old  Acacia trees, as part of the preparations of   DPWH’s  road-widening work on the Naga-Carcar section of the N. Bacalso Avenue.

I don’t know what’s  the future of these trees given the fact that it has become necessary to widen the road to give way to development and progress in southern Cebu. But I think that if given a chance to apply a   partnership of between the public-private sector, we can find a solution that would address the concern of some environmentalists and the government.

Let us preserve the 100-year-old acacia trees which provide shade  for  people to rest and enjoy the wind.  But we should not also stop development just because of the trees.

Development can’t  be and should not be avoided because it is for the welfare and interest of the people.

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I don’t know  the status  of the RH bill in the Lower House, whether it it was passed or not, but what’s  important is that the Cebu Archdicoese is ready to fight the bill to the end.

To reinforce  its campaign against the RH bill, the archdiocese  yesterday led a prayer rally to marshal its flock to oppose the bill which is   against the teachings of the Church.. Ricardo Cardina.Vidal and Archbishop Jose  Palma are  leading the campaign against the RH bill  and are using their influence by targetting politicians who are in favor of the bill.  They are hoping that politicians will change their mind if it means not being voted upon in the 2013 election.

Rep. Tommy Osmeña of Cebu City south asserted that the warning and the lists of the church don’t  threaten him because he has already made up his mind. Rep. Pablo Garcia is leading  members of the House of Representatives in its battle against the RH bill. Apparently his strategy is  to delay the passage of the controversial bill.

President Aquino in his State of the Nation Address emphasized the importance of responsible parenthood in order to help  people free themselves from poverty. Our resources are very limited and with  so many people in the  county today   resources may not be enough to answer their basic needs.

But the Church believes otherwise and asks why is China an emerging superpower and the largest world economy despite its   population of almost one  billion?

I think the issue is how we distribute  resources among  people in a country  where the rich are   very few and control the wealth of the Philippines.

It’s  clear that the Church is not against responsible parenthood but it is against the promotion and  use of  artificial contraceptives because it is against doctrines of the Catholic Church. It is hoped that the government and the Church will   find an agreement on this issue because both are interested in the genuine  welfare of Filipinos.

Responsible parenthood should be pursued in order  to address the need to uplift the standard of living. We should  look beyond the RH bill as the sole  solution.

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