Carl Edward Sagan was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, and science communicator. At one time, he was quoted as saying, “Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.”
His observation wasn’t meant to be bleak, but rather to inspire us to protect our only home.
That may be one of the reasons why I became interested in writing environmental stories. It all started when I joined a group of journalists who attended a seminar-workshop in Davao City, which was convened by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI) and Philippine Environmental Journalists, Inc. (PEJI).
One of their activities was to visit a site where environmental protection was – and still is – going on. The organizers selected the Mindanao Baptist Rural Life Center (MBRLC) in Kinuskusan, Bansalan, Davao del Sur. It so happened that I worked at the MBRLC as a program information officer.
Our director, Rev. Harold R. Watson – the 1985 recipient of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for peace and international understanding – urged me to join him since the group was composed of journalists and I am also a journalist. “If there are questions, you can help me answer them,” he told me.
The group arrived and after introduction, Adlai Amor – one of the speakers and used to be connected with Press Foundation of Asia (where I regularly contributed reports and features) – asked me if I wanted to join the seminar-workshop.
I asked Rev. Watson if he would allow me to join and he immediately approved it. That was how I started my passion for writing environmental stories.
In the later years, some of the environmental stories I had written – on marine turtles, coral reefs, climate change, water crisis, dwindling fish catch, and biotechnology – earned me several journalism awards from different award-giving bodies.
Writing environmental stories also opened opportunities to attend international conferences. I was able to attend three International Coral Reef Symposiums in Bali, Indonesia; Cairns, Australia; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida in the United States.
Issues and concerns on food security also got me to join a seminar for a group of journalists from all over Asia at the regional office of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Bangkok, Thailand. (I returned to Bangkok in later years when I was asked to join a group of editors to review the book, In Search of Excellence: Exemplary Forest Management in Asia-Pacific Region.)
Award-winning and book author Don Hinrichsen also requested me to co-author a paper on water population. We did a brainstorming session about the paper and I had to fly to New York (my very first to visit the US) in 2000.
We presented our output at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington, D.C. in 2001, where I had the opportunity of talking before a group of diplomats, government officials, and fellow journalists.
There are awards and there are awards. Last September 20, I was one of the eight professional journalists recognized during the Second Luntiang Pluma Awards given by the Lunhaw Awards Committee.
Luntiang Pluma aims “to give recognition and honor the best write ups (both digital and print), bringing awareness and resolution to various environmental issues surrounding Davao City.”
My award-winning features – “Davao Gulf in deep trouble” and “Protecting Davao’s watershed from devastation” – appeared in the environment page of Edge Davao. They came out on May 23 and May 25, 2024, respectively.
Six of the award-winning pieces came out in Sun-Star Davao. Another feature appeared in Mindanao Times.
All winners received trophies and cash prizes for their feat. In addition, they got Certificate of Recognitions from Davao City Mayor Sebastian Z. Duterte. They were recognized for their “outstanding work in journalism that has brought to the public consciousness environmental issues in the city, encouraging us all to work towards a more sustainable and greener Davao City.”
There were also students who received recognition. Michael John M. Ante, a college student taking Bachelor of Science in Architecture, was honored for his two pieces which appeared in Primum, the official student publication of the University of Mindanao.
“Finally, my articles are given the opportunity to be heard and to be seen,” he said of the awards. “The event was really an opportunity and platform to amplify environmental awareness and address issues.”
This year’s chairperson of the board of judges is Dr. Maria Gemima Valderrama, a journalism professor of Ateneo de Davao University.
“It’s great to read stories that promote environmental awareness,” she said. “If there is one story that should be highlighted, it is about protecting our ecological resources and preventing environmental destruction. Kudos to journalists with a vision and a heart for stories like this.
“This generation needs more stories that contribute to environmental consciousness,” she added.
The winners had the opportunity of listening to the thought-provoking message from Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo, who was invited guest speaker.
“I believe this event is more than just giving recognition to the outstanding environmental efforts, more than celebrating milestones, but also inspiring good action,” said Ocampo, chair of the committee on environment and natural resources, in his speech. “By drawing influence from our awardees, we can make their green initiatives as part of our daily lives, which may create a positive impact on our community.”
To all awardees, Ocampo said, “I am personally acknowledging your outstanding contributions. You are the core of this event. You are the pillars whom we look up to strive for excellence. Your dedication has not only earned you these awards but has also made you role models for sustainability across our city.
“Your efforts are helping to shape a more resilient, greener Davao, and for that, I am immensely grateful,” he further said. “Without your relentless passion and hard work, this event would not have the transformative power it does today. I applaud each and every one of you.”
The Lunhaw Awards Committee of Davao City is composed of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, the City Agriculturist Office, the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS), Davao City Water District, and the Davao Association of Catholic Schools.
The program ended with a closing remark from Atty. Mark Peñalver, the executive director of IDIS.
When I posted some photos of the awarding, I received a lot of congratulatory greetings, including those from Albert Garcia, a famous photographer who captured the eruption of Mount Pinatubo; Oscar G. Casaysay, the executive director at National Commission for Culture and the Arts; Karlos Y. Zarate, former deputy minority leader at the House of Representatives; Angelo B. Palmones, a multi-awarded broadcast journalist; Dr. Rafael R. Castillo, a well-known health columnist at the Philippine Daily Inquirer; and Dr. Teodoro Herbosa, the secretary of the Department of Health.
Of course, I also received congratulatory greetings from Olivia Velasco and Neilwin Bravo, the publisher and editor-in-chief, respectively, of Edge Davao. I acknowledged both during my acceptance speech.
Now, you know why I continue writing environmental stories?
