Caring for the environment
Panglao Island is one of my favorite places in the country. I’ve only stayed there for a couple of nights in the many times I’ve been deployed to Bohol for my job, but somehow the island has captivated me. There is a secret charm that the white beaches have that makes me want to come back and enjoy the pristine waters, as well as the sea breeze.
Last week when environment secretary Roy Cimatu visited Cebu for an environmental summit, he said that they will go to Panglao Island next to clean the island up. Their eyes are now all in Boracay after the president called it a “cesspool” full of filth and whatnot.
The Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas has assured the national agency that they have also been taking measures to make sure that Panglao stays as it is. Director Cunado has confirmed the presence of E. coli bacteria that has gone beyond safe levels but it is considered to be insignificant.
Last Sunday I went to Bohol Island and could not help but have fresh eyes on the situation. It is true that there are some establishments that are too near the shoreline. There are also many resorts now that have sprung up but the atmosphere remains the same, it is still the same Bohol that I used to know. I find joy in the many foreign nationals who are frolicking by the shore and locals who enjoy diving to see the diverse marine life the sea has to offer.
Indeed, we are blessed with so many nature spots that we forget to care for them as our own. Sometimes I cannot fathom why we cannot follow our own environmental laws. They were created specifically for the purpose of preserving nature’s gift to us but in the long run, it is only us who slowly destroy them. It is both disappointing and heartbreaking at the same time.
I like Panglao the way it is now, I only hope nobody gets too abusive in the way. It has been the getaway place for many and for some, a place to relax and unwind. Bohol is just a two-hour fastcraft trip away from Cebu which makes it all within our reach. I hope local officials will be enlightened that one of the issues that have to be addressed is taking care of the environment.
If we enjoy Panglao today, we should be able to enjoy this too in the future and so should the kids who will be born soon. Thus, it is our duty to keep it the way it is, the way it should be. I take my hat off to the provincial government which has been doubling its efforts in making sure no violation has taken place in the island. When the secretary comes to visit next month, all will be in order -I hope this becomes a reality. We can enjoy, but control and limitation is the key.