‘Tabi’

As kids, we learned to say ‘tabi’ when throwing stones and other stuff in the dark or passing through unfamiliar and dark terrain. I am not sure how we imbibed the habit. It must have sunk deep into the subconscious from listening to stories about folks suffering the dire consequence of catching the ire of invisible beings disturbed by humans’ thoughtless acts. Saying “tabi” was a deed borne of trepidation about the future.

I realized one night that the habit has stuck all these decades. But, happily, with a difference. I was discarding water through the window. Beneath it were shrubs I planted just days before, and automatically I said, “tabi.”  Was it fear that drove me to utter the word? Thankfully, it was not. I realized I had matured quite a bit, after all. I did it out of respect and concern for the creatures that might be scared because of my gesture.

The act is akin to golfers’ practice of shouting “fore” as a warning to co-players in the fairway of an incoming ball. It is borne of concern for the safety for others.

Do fisherfolk say it in the darkness of the night, miles away in the deep sea?

Before the members of EcoWaste Coalition in its gathering last year, Dr. Jimmy Galvez Tan, a former Department of Health Secretary and a famous rural health practitioner, shared his experience with the fisherfolk in Samar. Before they leave the shores, the fisherfolk would make offerings to apologize for disturbing the marine habitat and to express their gratitude for the blessings of an abundant fish catch. Their offerings might be the equivalent of the urbanites’ gesture of saying “tabi.”

Uttering “tabi” (or “fore”) is an acknowledgment that we are not alone, that we are interconnected and that each one of us is deserving of respect.

Should these values of respect and concern be limited exclusively to living things?

Is our built heritage not entitled to protection?

The answer is found in Article XIV, section 15 of the Constitution which declares that “The State shall conserve, promote, and popularize the nation’s historical and cultural heritage and resources, as well as artistic creations.”

The raging issue of the flyovers  will be resolved if stakeholders, especially the national agencies, Congresswoman Cutie del Mar and the local officials supporting the projects acknowledge that the heritage sites in  Cebu City, the oldest city in the Philippines, which will definitely be impacted by the projects, deserve protection.

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Environmental Management Bureau should reconsider its stance of not releasing the documents used as basis for its issuance of the Environmental Compliance Certificate for the Flyover Projects. Apart from issues on air quality and public consultation, did the Department of Public Works and Highways and DENR consider the historical and heritage sites’ conservation concerns which R.A.10066, known as the “National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009”, clearly requires?

“Any government or non-government infrastructure project or architectural site development shall include anthropological, archaeological, and historical and heritage site conservation concerns in their Environmental Impact Assessment System,” the law says.

We have the right to know and we deserve respect.

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REMINDERS FROM ECO-WASTE COALITION: To help guide and ensure a waste-and-toxic-free and climate friendly visit to the dear departed relatives and friends in the cemetery, EcoWaste Coalition recommends these measures:

1. For local government and cemetery administrators, hang cloth banners to remind the public that the cemetery is a waste-free zone. Implement ecological solid waste management and encourage vendors to support waste prevention. Place segregated bins (biodegradable and non-biodegradable at a minimum) in strategic locations.

2. Remind the people to properly manage their discards through regular public announcements. Unwanted discards should be sorted in segregated bins or if bins are not available, discards should be brought home for reusing, recycling or composting. In addition, nearby recycling communities can be invited to monitor cleanliness of the cemetery while the collected recyclable discards can be donated to them.

3. Walk, bike, carpool or take the public transportation to the cemeteries.

4. Make use only of non-toxic soaps or detergents to clean the tombs and unleaded paints for those who plan to repaint them. Avoid burning of grass and plant cuttings and garbage piles.

5. Reuse left-over candles at home. If buying new candles, select plain and clean-burning ones to minimize smoke and pollution.

6. Choose locally grown fresh flowers and abstain from wrapping them in plastic to avoid additional litter.

7. Avoid use of plastic bags, polystyrene packaging, disposable plates and utensils to reduce your garbage.

8. Just bring enough, not easily perishable, food items to avoid spoilage and poisoning.

9. Bring water jugs and reusable cups and glass to reduce plastic bottle consumption.

10. Keep your noise and voices down as a respect to others.

Underlying the foregoing reminders is the timeless value called respect, for the living and the non-living.