Healing the earth, healing the sick

IN THE past weeks, netizens of various social media platforms have been sharing photos and videos of seemingly good news for the environment in the midst of the quarantine being implemented in Luzon and various provinces in Visayas and Mindanao due to rising cases of Covid-19. In urban areas usually clouded by haze, for example, a clear skyline was finally being seen thanks to the lack of pollutants in the air. The same has also been happening in other countries, with wildlife reportedly crowding into developed areas that are currently not teeming with human act i vi t y.

Because of these, many were quick to point out that perhaps the coronavirus pandemic is a way by which nature is healing itself - a kind of mechanism to fight off a virus that has been plaguing it: humans.

This is quite problematic. While the earth is most certainly taking a break from the toll of economic activity, it is not right to glamorize a disease that has taken the lives of many, placed grave burden upon healthcare workers, and caused panic and sowed sorrow to millions more. Even the measures that governments had to take, including the quarantine and reduction of available mass transportation, amplified the problems of hunger and lack of access to basic resources that the poorest among us have long been suffering.

To welcome or even embrace the pandemic because of its temporary "benefits" to nature not only

fails to consider the plight of those bearing the brunt of the crisis, it could also lead us to forget, even for a moment, the real problems we are faci ng.

Because even now when there are less pollutants in the air and less trash on the streets, the earth continues to groan, and we must listen to her as stewards appointed by our Creator. And right now, the groaning comes from the poor and vulnerable who are most burdened by the pandemi c.

The environmentalism we fight for as stewards of Creation is something

The activity is under the Community-Based Milk Supplementation Program which was initiated by Pineda last year.

To date, there are already 534 pouches of 1.2 kilograms of fortified powdered milk distributed in the municipality of Mexico.

---Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu/ PIA-3