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My Turnby Maileen Hamto |
 |
From The Asian Reporter, V17, #30 (July 24, 2007), page 6 & 7.
Environmental stewardship, Pinoy indie-film style
Inspiration doesn’t come every day, but when it does, it usually emerges from the most unexpected places. Props go out to community members who devote time and resources toward advancing the causes they champion.
Take one group of young Filipino Americans, for example. As members of the Philippine American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon’s Kabataan (Tagalog for "youth"), they spent months planning and organizing the recent Moonrise Environmental Film Festival. Jerry Ledesma, Jocelyn Medallo, and others — sons and daughters of Filipino immigrants — are to be commended for their efforts in raising awareness about how environmental issues are affecting people of color throughout the world.
Independent films included in the festival provided an unflinching, no-holds-barred look at the desperate need for environmental stewardship in the Philippines. The films are a project of the Center for Environmental Awareness and Education, a group that champions environmental education and awareness initiatives in the Philippines.
Like many developing nations, the Philippines has experienced an exodus of people from rural villages to city centers. The influx of thousands of migrants from rural areas creates problems of unemployment, homelessness, and crowded schools in the cities, where resources are already slim. Too often, economic pressures force those who stay behind in rural areas to make choices that harm the environment.
The Philippines, made up of more than 7,100 islands that rose from a complex geologic history, is one of more than 30 biodiversity hotspots identified by Conservation International. Over 50 percent of animal and plant species found in the Philippines are endemic to the islands. That means that flora and fauna on the islands are found nowhere else in the world.
Hundreds of years ago, most of the Philippine islands were covered in rainforest. Forests have historically been logged for timber products, but today they are being cleared for farmland and other development.
Being pro-environment does not mean being against all economic activity. Outside the United States, the need for greener and more sustainable lifestyles has serious implications for the survival of entire nations. It’s not simply a matter of saving a few acres here and there so an insect species may thrive.
In countries like the Philippines, environmental stewardship means making the choice between short-term survival needs or the death of an indigenous way of life. When people leave their villages to work as maids or cab drivers in the cities, they leave behind a way of life that they may never return to again.
It’s not enough to educate indigenous people that forests need to be saved for the health of the planet. Parents need to feed their children. That is why the brand of greenness championed by groups working in the Philippines and other developing nations includes an economic component to provide for the needs of families, without compromising the ability of future generations to thrive in those environments.
There are many ways to support the livelihood of indigenous peoples while also protecting the environment. Organizations such as Green Empowerment are creating opportunities for people in developing countries — including the Philippines — to bring energy and water conservation programs to villages. Locally owned firms such as Green Market Solutions, led by Filipino American Neville Mercado, walk the walk by supporting grassroots efforts to use sustainable and affordable environmentally friendly products.
"Independent film and environmentalism are cornerstones of Portland’s culture, and Portland’s ties with the Philippines are becoming stronger every year. We need to use our traditions of art and activism to help ensure the Philippines’ sustainable development," says Gordy Molitor, Green Empowerment’s executive director, a partnering organizer for the Moonrise Film Festival.
Change won’t come easy. It’s awfully hard to advocate for people’s livelihoods and the health of the environment from half a world away. What is inspiring about the efforts of PACCO-Kabataan is its commitment to raising awareness about the perils of continued environmental degradation and cultural dilution.
Co-organizer Jerry Ledesma writes, "We are blessed to be Filipino, hailing from a country that supports a plethora of cultures + the greatest concentration of unique biological diversity currently known on the planet. PACCO-Kabataan’s hope through the Moonrise Film Festival was to bring these ideals of sustainability and preservation and apply them to the Philippines’ rich environment and its unique cultures."
And they accomplished that and more. An orientation toward a selfless and service-focused community engagement is a trait that comes easily to us, Filipinos and Asian Americans alike. We are peoples that come from tribes — communities that nurture families that nurture individuals, who in turn pay it forward to the community. It’s comforting — and inspiring — to see the leadership exemplified by our youth.
To read more about the Moonrise Film Festival, visit <www.ceae.org/film_moonrise_portland.htm>. For more information about PACCO-Kabataan, visit <www.paccokabataanpdx.net>.