So OK. Who's Next? Please Raise Your Right Hand!

Illegal Logging in Mindanao
(Source:  Bicol Today)

The Philippines is in the World's 10 Most Threatened Forest Hotspots.

The Philippines is not the only country experiencing deforestation.  However, it is one of the countries experiencing massive deforestation at around 180,000 hectares per year based on a report by the World Wildlife Fund.

The same report said that many  logging  concessionaires effectively dictated forest policies in our government.

The loss of life and damage to property related to flooding from deforestation have been steadily mounting through the years.

Sendong: Anatomy of a Disaster

Warnings in the Philippines are often left unheeded by government officials.


Conservation International identified the Philippines as 4th in the 10 most threatened forest in the world.  It further said that 100 years ago, the forest cover of the Philippine was 97% of the country's total land area.


When the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos assumed office in 1965, it was still almost 80%.  When he was toppled down after 20 years, the forest cover was estimated to be only 27%.


Through the administrations of Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, or, a total of 24 year later, the forest cover is now down to only 7%.  The World Wildlife Fund puts it at a pitiful 3%.

In 2009, a baby is led to safety by her father
in a plastic basin in Cagayan de Oro.
(Source: Digital Photographer Philippines)

Way back on January 3, 2009, Cagayan de Oro and Iligan already experienced one of their worst flash floods.

Mark Anthony Ermac had a few details of the 2009 Iligan flash flood in his blog.

The disaster was well analyzed by another blogger named BenCyrus G. Ellorin.  He is a member of Task Force Macajalar, an anti-illegal logging group based in Cagayan de Oro.

The huge volumes of water from the Kalatungan Mountain Range in Lanao del Sur and Mt. Kitanglad Mountain Range in Bukidnon were the main sources of the swell in the Cagayan de Oro and Iligan Rivers.

That was only three (3) years ago.

The Lions at the Gate

(Click on the links for more details)

Until what point in the future can the world sustain a regime of"
1.)  A strong population increase;
2.)  Steady price escalations, and;
3.)  Declining incomes?

In eastern philosophy, Lions represent nobleness and dignity.  They are thought to protect the truth and keep off evils.  For the Chinese, the lion has become a symbol of bravery, power and good luck.  Thus, stone sculptures of a male and a female lion are mounted at the gates of family homes of Chinese, business establishments and government buildings.

In the Red

When output exceeds input;

The economist says demand has exceeded supply.

The engineer talks about overload.

The banker calls it overdraft.

The politician exclaims, "What problem?"

TeeVee

Mr. Nestor U. Torre of the Philippine Daily Inquirer recently made comments at the quality of primetime news (TV Newscast in the News) and Star Circle quest.

I agree with him that indeed the quality of these programs are sub-par. However, the problem is not with the producers and, no, the viewers will not "wise up," as he suggested, not in the foreseeable future.

The rich have cable TV. The masses ride the mainstream TV airwaves and it is their multitude that has skewed TV programming.