Respect Life… Respect Our Trees…

Jay R. Miranda

“Whoever has tasted the breath of morning, knows that the most invigorating and delightful hours of the day are commonly spent in bed, though it is the evident intention of nature that we should profit by them.” -Southey

One of the gifts of nature is no doubt, the TREES. Basically, they give us the oxygen our body needs for us to live. They prevent flashfloods and soil erosion. More so, they provide us many things we need such us shelter, papers, perfume, furniture and medicine. They really play an important role in humans’ life.

Unfortunately, the diverse natural resources of the country specifically the Philippine Acacia Tree, are fast dwindling due to human factors such as ignorance, complacency and greed. A host of plant species are critically endangered or close to extinction because of our utter disregard of their existence choosing to destroy trees just to make a quick profit or allowing these activities to go on by being unaware or apathetic.

The cutting of trees along the major highway of Pampanga is a clear manifestation that people in position use their power and influence just to accomplish their personal goals. It does not appear in their vocabulary the word consideration… consideration of the efforts exerted by volunteers who planted those trees way back then, consideration of the fact that those acacia trees do more good than being a hindrance to commuters as they presume, that those trees which are already there for more than 50 years give shades and clean air aside from the scenic beauty it offer to pedestrians and commuters alike.

Every time me and my family passed along the highway, we always discuss how come trees were cut down? How come they are being regarded as expendable living things? How come the government is not doing anything to avoid the cutting of trees? Sophisticated and highly technical instruments and inventions were being patented, how come they cannot find ways to improve our roads without sacrificing the trees.

Let us keep the circle of life alive by being aware, by being involved, by taking a stand. It is not yet late if we act now. It is within our power to stop and reverse the destructive trends we see by what we say or we don’t say, by what we do or don’t do, by what we notice or choose to ignore.

These lines about trees direct us all… “Nature is but a name for an effect whose cause is God.” –Cowper

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The author is Master Teacher – I at Bacolor Elementary School- Madapdap,

Bacolor North District.