The MMDA is currently promoting electric PUVs by thinking about exempting the said vehicles in the number coding scheme… Well, I say it’s about time!

While the rest of the world is generously setting aside gold bars for research on other more efficient, and greener sources of energy, the Philippines is just starting to introduce the idea of electric vehicles for public commute.

We, who are gifted with sea breeze and land breeze from all directions, bathed in glorious sunlight the whole year, and  are still currently considered one of the greatest biological hotspots in the world, are just starting to consider greener solutions, when everyone else is already using them. Isn’t it just sad?

We are blessed with all the means to harness cleaner and safer energy from our environment. We have the wind, the water, the sunlight, and the brains to save our natural resources and to free ourselves from the dictates of oil and oil-producing countries. Yet, we choose to ignore all these and dwell instead on petty government and political issues, which we actually have no solution for. (Pardon the grave pessimism) Is that all we really want to do – spit on the faces of government officials and rally to the streets to oust elected officers?

Yes, we’ve proven to the whole world how strong we value our freedom and how much we are willing to give our lives to show that so-called love for country. But is that all we are now? a nation of people power? a political warmonger?

Take President Noynoy, for example. He’s so well-loved by the people for his supposedly transparency on all government spendings. He’s proudly flaunt his paycheck and meager salary to show just how little officials of the palace should be receiving. He orders the palace to limit menus to modest meals for social gatherings. He stops for red lights and refuses to use sirens to announce his presence. He even refuses to use the palace for his office and would rather use his own money to refurbish a place he can rent for the duration of his term. He’s a man who proposes and takes very particular and very specific strategies to get things done, but sadly on such a level only.

Why? Because so far, those are the only things I’ve seen from him. Those are the only things he’s shown. Yes, he has exposed some of the financial problems of the government (and of the country). He has also vowed to mercilessly pursue the culprits responsible for the wrongful spendings, but how much concern has he really shown in the country’s (in most western scientists’ opinion) greatest strength which is its unparalleled natural resources? Did he even ask the people in his street party to take care of their trash before they leave? Did you see how messy QC circle was after that memorable street party? Has he ever mentioned anything about the administration’s plans or desires to address pollution and trash problem? I’ve endured his first SONA and he didn’t even mention anything in passing.

We’ve been focusing on so many other things for such a long time that we’ve already forgotten what’s in front of us.

Once upon a time, in my Sibika class, the Philippines was identified as one of the world’s richest in terms of natural resources. When I was taking up Ecology (Bio 160) class, it was considered to be a better rival of Darwin’s Galapagos in terms of biodiversity. Now, how do you think should we define it?