LAGAWE, IFUGAO- – The Mt. Polis Protection and Development Council (MPPDC) has set a goal to protect the people from hazardous sites in an attempt to safeguard the environment, particularly of Banaue town.
Reginald Buduhan, presiding officer of the MPPDC at the second quarterly meeting in Lagawe, said they needed to put up signages at certain “dangerous” locations in the town.
In a move that showed foresight, Atty. Buduhan sought the assistance of Board Member Peter Bunnag for the provision of signages at the soonest time.
“But more than just accepting the fact that our funds are insufficient, our responsibility is to look for donors,” he said.
Board Member Bunnag immediately acted on the council’s request by seeking the assistance of Ohayami Corporation.
“We need to be involved,” Bunnag said.
“The lessons learned from the dangers presented by nature hazards that would need to be addressed immediately by us and at the same time be scrutinized by local government units and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in order to understand how new laws would affect the lives of the people,” he told ZigZag Weekly in an inclusive interview.
Bunnag chairs the committee on environment and natural resources.
Over the years, Bunnag endeavored to ensure a clean and safe environment, save threatened ecological communities and sustain habitat interconnectivity.
As part of his legislative agenda, Bunnag authored and co-authored key measures in support of the National Greening Program.
“A signage outlining the need for folks to stay away from well-identified “hazardous” or “dangerous” places would definitely help in ensuring the people’s safety, he pointed out in a letter to the Ohayami bus firm manager.
“I am glad and optimistic that we are on the same side, putting a premium on ways of guaranteeing life-saving actions that can make a significant difference in the health and wealth of our people,” he added.
The prayed for donation is tied into the well-accepted “corporate social responsibility (CSR)” tenet in the business world. It is ingrained throughout the country and worldwide, provide a unique platform for aiding the needy.
Ohayami Corporation operates the Ohayami Trans noted bus line here with Banaue to Baguio City and Banaue (via Lagawe) to Sampaloc, Manila routes. CSR demonstrates the interaction between business firms and the people in the former’s operational communities.
There are many interesting attractions in Banaue, through the vegetation with its panoramic terraces.
Ohayami Corporation’s act of generosity is widely expected.
An environment advocates took a leap to fulfill its mission to engage with strong and dynamic forces to shield Mt. Polis, under the guidance of Bishop Valentin Dimoc.
By traversing in this action, Bunnag clearly showed that he is actively protecting the environment and future generations. Also, he is one of the powerful drivers of positive environmental change in this part of the Cordilleras. Even if others in his level are staying away from this crusade, there is One who will never stay passive and allow the potential widespread terrifying effects of environmental degradation.
Through a sound and well-attuned program, Ifugao folks can expect the protection of the environment to hedge against natural disasters and preserve the ecological resources for incoming generations. For now, Ifugao still have a very long way to go before realizing this. It is useless to try and convince anyone when legislation and enforcement remain uneven, creating huge “gaps” and aloofness and ignorance toward the significance of environmental integrity and ecological balance. Time to reset the setting! **By Anthony A. Araos
